Tate Meintjes, a 19-year-old rider with Team California, was killed in a car-bike crash on Tuesday.

Meintjes had been pre-riding the Redlands Bicycle Classic time trial course in California when a driver cut him off.

A young cyclist was killed after a driver cut him off during a pre-ride of California’s Redlands Bicycle Classic Tuesday morning.



Tate Meintjes, 19, was riding on Sand Canyon Road near the city of Redlands when the collision took place. According to the California Highway Patrol, a driver in a Honda Accord attempted to make a turn and pulled in front of Meintjes, who had been traveling just behind in the same direction.



“The Honda made a U-turn directly into the path of the cyclist and the cyclist crashed into the Honda,” the CHP said in a report. Officers did not say how fast the driver was going.

Meintjes, a Team California rider who had been previewing the race’s time trial course with his teammates, was pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital.

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The Redlands Bicycle Classic is deeply saddened to report @TeamCABike rider, Tate Meintjes, was tragically killed in a collision with a vehicle Tuesday morning. Our deepest condolences to Tate's family, friends & teammates. #RideforTate

Full statement: https://t.co/wLD0VMQqhf pic.twitter.com/SjykGfMfGv — Redlands Classic 🚴 (@redlandsClassic) March 13, 2019

“We are absolutely heartbroken by the tragic collision that occurred Tuesday,” said Marc Shaw, president of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. “The cycling community is a very tight-knit one, the loss of such a talented, young cyclist is being felt across all cycling disciplines.”

Meintjes, a native of Reno, Nevada, began his racing career as a mountain biker in 2013. After winning the 2017 Pro XCT in the 17-18-year-old category and taking third in the main Pro XCT event that same year, he was selected to represent USA Cycling at the UCI Junior Canadian Cup. He joined California’s Bear Development Team in late 2018 and was in his second year at the University of Nevada, Reno, studying mechanical engineering.



Meintjes started his racing career on mountain bikes in 2013 and joined the Bear Development Team late last year. Tate Meintjes Twitter

“We are heartbroken, devastated, and overwhelmed with emotions,” read a statement from the Bear Development Team. “Tate was one of the good ones. A young man that always had a smile on his face, went out of his way to touch base with friends, and took time out of his crazy school and racing schedule to teach others about the sport he loved.”

Meintjes took up road racing at the end of last season and joined Team California this year. Most recently, he finished third in the Bariani Road Race in Zamora, California, which he excitedly referred to his “first big boy road race.”

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“All my life, I have been pushed to achieve my full potential in every endeavor I take on—whether that be school, sports, or work,” Meintjes wrote in a rider introduction for the Bear Development Team last year. “When I was taught to do my best, I think my parents were hoping I would just do the best I could in different aspects of my life. I don’t think they ever saw it coming when that translated into me trying not just do my best, but to live my best.”

In his last bio on Instagram, Meintjes left a now-eerie message. “Life Goal: Get to my deathbed thinking ‘Well, that was fun,’” he wrote.

Meintjes’s parents drove from Reno to Redlands at news of their son’s crash, Cycling News reported. On Tuesday evening, they asked the team to continue with the race, which began Wednesday on the same seven-mile time trial course where the crash occurred.

Teammates, friends, and family are using the hashtag #ridefortate to honor Meintjes throughout the event.

Riley Missel Test Editor Test editor Riley Missel is an experienced road racer, mountain biker, and a national champion on the track who has been at Bicycling since 2017.

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