This past weekend was an amazing weekend for Cycling: Unbound Gravel, Elephant Rock, and the City Park Crit. It saddens us to be suddenly brought down to earth with tragic news involving a Colorado Cyclist, and how frequent these types of horrific events are becoming.
On Friday evening, Gregory Bachman, a 61-year-old teacher from Frisco, Colorado, was riding through an intersection near Emporia, Kansas, when he was struck and killed by a pickup truck. Bachman was in town to take part in the Unbound Gravel race that’s become known as one of the biggest gravel events in the world, drawing thousands of cyclists to Emporia every June.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reports the accident occurred shortly after 5 pm at the intersection of Lyon County Road 190 and F. According to KHP, 61-year-old Gregory Bachman of Frisco, CO, was traveling northbound on Road F and entered the intersection.
According to KHP (Kansas Highway Patrol), “Bachman then struck a westbound 2021 Chevy Silverado driven by 52-year-old Cory Smith of Emporia. Bachman was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision.”
The Kansas State Police have released a short statement reiterating these facts, adding that Bachman was traveling northbound at the time of the collision, while Smith was traveling west in a Chevy Silverado. There has been no further information released as to whether charges are pending or if the incident is being treated as an accident.
According to Lyon County Undersheriff John Koelsch, Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputies, EMS and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers were called to the intersection of Road 190 and F for an injury accident just after 5 pm. Full details have not been announced, however, Koelsch says two riders were riding near the intersection when one was struck by a vehicle.
Bachman was a teacher at Snowy Peaks in Colorado, and Snowy Peaks Principal Jim Smith shared a statement with a local Colorado paper, The Summit Daily: “Our hearts are broken. Greg was a revered member of the Yeti family. His time at Snowy Peaks was defined by his commitment to our students and families, and Greg served as an invaluable colleague to the Yeti staff. He will forever be missed.”
Former students commented on the school’s post about the tragedy, saying he was a great math teacher who told good stories. A GoFundMe has been set up in his honor, and describes him as an avid cyclist, as well as a runner and CrossFit ‘family member.’
Over 4000 cyclists took part in Unbound yesterday, racing distances from 50 to 350 miles on gravel roads. Unbound acknowledged Bachman’s death, though they declined to comment beyond offering condolences to Bachman’s family. Bachman had raced the event before, Gran Fondo Daily News reported. He finished the 200 mile gravel event in 2021 in 17:21:19, placing mid-pack in his age group.
While this is a developing story, we at Colorado Avid Cyclist, and all of its affiliates, extend our deepest condolences to Gregory’s family.
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