Bull attacks Madera County bicyclist during race in Bakersfield

A Madera County man is healing up after being attacked by a bull while riding his bike.

Tony Inderbitzin is one of three who were hurt by the bull. This all happened during the Rock Cobbler race in Bakersfield Saturday.

“I am extremely sore,” Inderbitzin told FOX26 News. “I’ve never been this sore. Initially, right after the attack, my neck was killing me. That was the focal point of the soreness, now it’s the lower back.”

The Bianchi Rock Cobbler is an extremely challenging 80-mile off-road bicycle race. It includes major changes in the surface of the route, an elevation gain of about 6500 feet, and plenty of wild animals along the way.

Video of the incident shows Inderbitzen biking up toward the animal, which had its back turned. He doesn’t seem to make any effort to change his course.

“I was coming through a section that was kind of a drainage area. You’re constantly crossing sandy sections. I was coming off of kind of a long sand section, so I was carrying some speed and there was a slight incline.”

Inderbitzen explained, he did see that there was an animal. Being from North Fork, he sees cows all the time, and bikes right by them no problem.

“I didn’t think much about there being a cow there, and just thought it was one cow versus a dozen that I might ride through any one grouping on any day. I kept going, and as I got 10-15 yards from him, he turned – because he had his back to me. He turned, squared up, and I had maybe a second to brace myself or do anything.”

Only this was no ordinary cow.

“It’s a case of mistaken identity from a cow to a bull,” added Inderbitzin.

He says now, a single arm and his head are essentially the only parts of him not in pain.

“As I was on my hands and knees trying to get back up, he circled around and came up with his head underneath my head and chest and flicked me up in the air.”

Inderbitzin wasn’t the only one attacked.

Sam Ames, the creator of the Rock Cobbler, told FOX26 News in a statement,

For the record, while we love our shenanigans at the event, this was not planned, we don’t condone riding at or near bulls. In nine years we have passed countless cows and bulls. All riders involved are safe, unharmed if you can believe it and (2) of the (3) finished the ride and toasted beers. Rider safety is a top priorityso while this is able to get some laughs, thankfully, we will review or modify our route as needed for next year.

Inderbitzin wanted to finish the race, but said people who witnessed the attack talked him out of it, figuring it would be better to get some rest.

“Some other riders that had just passed and were behind me, they saw it all and came up. They were really concerned. I was trying to answer questions, am I okay, can they help – but I could hardly breathe, the wind was knocked out of me.”

He has another similar race coming up in a month.