Sheep poo takes down 161 mountain bikers
At least 161 riders in the Builth Wells Mountain Biking Marathon in Powys, UK became ill after the race this summer and health officials think they know why: sheep droppings. After receiving reports of competitors suffering vomiting and diarrhea shortly after the race, the National Public Health Service for Wales investigated and found the race course a sloppy soup of mud, sheep droppings, and nasty campylobacter bacteria. Officials believe the riders became sick after drinking from water bottles covered in mud.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of this happening – in 2007 more than 200 riders got sick after a mountain bike race in British Columbia. In the BC case it was cow droppings but again, officials suspect it was contaminated water bottles that were to blame. I think I’ll stick to my Camelbak from now on 
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December 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
[...] [ Via singletracks.com ] [...]
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
You can still get spray on the mouthpiece of your Camelback. I know I’ve had mud in my mouth after some really crossing a yucky forest meadow after a good rain. Luckily no farm animals around, but I did wonder about other wildlife . . . Still, less chance of contamination than a regular water bottle.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
The new camelbacks have a small hood that makes it near impossible for there to be any contamination… After using the prototype.. I can’t see why it was not made this way from
the start. I don’t know what it is made out of, but it is completely transparrent, and that extention piece that holds it close to your mouth is firm, but of no danger if you fall, because it always bends south and not toward your nose or eyes.
Just kidding.. about this.. but someone should consider fabricating something like this
and talk to camelback about it.. Cheers.