Rain puts the brakes on Tel Aviv bicycle event

Heavy rains Wednesday morning forced the Tel Aviv municipality to cut short the city’s Crosstown Bikeride event.

Some of the riders had already set off on their routes before officials announced that the 41 km, 21 km and roller blade routes were cancelled due to concerns that the slippery streets could cause injuries. Eventually the municipality also called back those who had already started after 28 riders slipped and fell on the wet terrain.

Paramedics treated most of the injured riders at the scene, but six were transferred to Soroka and Wolfson hospitals for further treatment, according to Israel Radio.

Nili, a rider at the event, told Ynet that “there had been talk that the [event] had to be postponed until Friday because it might rain. It’s a pity that the organizers didn’t postpone it.”

The municipality said, however, that it initially decided to go ahead with the event as scheduled after taking into account the security and traffic arrangements that had already been made, and the fact that the weather forecast had not predicted rain before 11 a.m.

Intermittent rain was forecast throughout the day and into the night Wednesday, with a chance of flash floods in the Negev and Judean deserts.