Lawson Craddock Rides on After Stage 1 Crash for Awesome Cause

From Bicycling

American rider Lawson Craddock is turning an early setback at the Tour de France into a good cause. In the feed zone during Stage 1, a dropped water bottle sent Craddock, 26, crashing off the road. He suffered a fractured scapula and a deep cut above his eye, which required stitches.

Not to be sidelined so early, Craddock decided he would continue on in the race as long as he could.

Since he is fighting the time cuts instead of mixing it up in the peloton, Craddock is raising money for his hometown velodrome, the Alkek Velodrome in Houston, Texas. He’s donating $100 for every stage of the race that he can finish to help repair the track after it sustained damage during Hurricane Harvey last year.

With an ultimate goal to raise $21,000, he started a GoFundMe campaign so others could join the cause and help support the next generation of bike racing. Craddock sponsors a youth cycling league at the track where he got his start. He is also auctioning off a custom pair of “Houston Strong” Lake cycling shoes to raise money.

Donations came pouring in. One woman immediately donated $2,100 for every stage of the race, and T-Mobile CEO John Legere offered to double Lawson’s contributions.

In just 24 hours, the GoFundMe had already reached its goal. As of Friday morning, more than $64,000 has been raised, just over triple the goal.

Just making it to the start of the Tour de France was a battle for Craddock. He had a rough season in 2017, and focused on joining his team at the Tour this year. He joined the American squad to support Rigoberto Uran, who finished second behind Chris Froome in the 2017 Tour. Uran is one of the riders with a chance to upset Froome and win this year.

To donate money to help repair the Alkek Velodrome, check out Lawson Craddock’s GoFundMe campaign here.

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