At least 200 mountain bikers fell ill after the Test of Metal mountain bike race in Sqamish, BC on June 16 and health officials think the cause may have been bacteria in mud out on the race course. Riders could have ingested the campylobacter bacteria after drinking from mud-caked water bottles or eating mud-contaminated food during the race (or perhaps even from wheel spray). Lovely, eh?
Apparently campylobacter causes diarrhea, fever, and vomiting and it’s usually associated with horse manure. Bikes often share trails with horses so it’s kinda surprising this doesn’t happen more often. Maybe it’s time to invest in a Camelback?
