Spectacular spill caught on camera

A Queenstown-based mountainbiker was lucky to escape without injury after taking a spectacular tumble from his bike in Europe recently.

Sam Gale was taking on an intense downhill ride in Schladming, Austria, when his back wheel stepped out causing him to go flying over the bars.

Fortunately, Sam, a builder based in Queenstown, emerged uninjured, but he says the crash, on June 6, was all 'a bit of a blur'.

Sam said: “I’m currently trying to make it as a professional downhill racer.

“My thoughts before the crash were good. I was just enjoying riding, felt like I was riding smooth and fast and everything was going well so it was fun.

“I didn’t really know what happened or what was going on because it all happened so fast, and when I realised I was going over the bars at a high speed I just went into natural instinct and tucked into a ball and tried to roll.

“After the crash I was just very sore and my back and neck were very painful. It all happened so quickly and took me by surprise, so I was very stunned."