Multiple South African mountain bike champion Michael Foster, who races for the Ford Prime Bunch professional team, has been seriously injured in a collision with a motorcycle while training on Wednesday, 2 September. Here are the details of what happened and his current prognosis.
By Sean Badenhorst
The South African cycling community has rallied around Michael Foster, his family and friends since news emerged late on Wednesday afternoon of the serious collision that left the KwaZulu-Natal-based mountain bike racer with extensive injuries.
Foster had returned home on Tuesday night after representing South Africa at the 2026 UCI XCO World Championships in Italy. On Wednesday afternoon, his first training ride since returning from the World Championships, ended in the collision.
“Michael was riding on the Hela Hela Road in the Umkomaas Valley near our farm. It’s a gravel road that he knows very well. He was descending. The motorcyclist was riding uphill in the opposite direction. We couldn’t speak to either of them, so details aren’t clear, but it is evident that they collided head on,” said Kelvin Foster, Michael’s father.
The remote location of the accident meant that getting medical assistance to the scene was not straightforward.
“A minibus taxi driver saw them. Because there is no cell phone signal there, he had to drive out of the valley to call a neighbouring farmer to request help. The farmer knows that Michael rides on that road regularly so after calling the local doctor and emergency services, he called us,” explained Foster.
When Foster arrived at the scene, both Michael and the motorcyclist, whose name is not yet known, had been moved off the road. Michael’s bicycle and the motorcycle had also been moved. Both men were unconscious, although the local doctor was apparently able to get a vague response when examining Michael.
The collision occurred on a kink in the road and is estimated to have happened at around 14h45, in good light.
“A helicopter was summoned but didn’t mobilise on time. An ambulance then arrived and took Michael to the MediClinic hospital in Pietermaritzburg. Although only about 80km away, the road is very rough and the ambulance was reduced to driving around 20kph on that road. We were following in our car behind it,” explained Foster.
Michael’s injuries are extensive and very serious. A scan indicated some bleeding on the brain. He also sustained multiple facial fractures, including a broken jaw, chin, cheekbones and nose. His other injuries include three fractures of the left knee, a shattered kneecap on the right knee, a fractured right elbow and bruised lungs.
“Michael is heavily sedated, so we can’t speak to him yet to determine if there is any kind of brain injury damage. Yesterday, a day after the incident, he underwent surgery to clean all the wounds. Today he is having the first face repair surgery.”
The family has also been trying to establish the condition of the motorcyclist involved in the collision.
“We have tried to find out about the motorcyclist, but the ambulance company hasn’t responded yet. He also had facial injuries and potentially an injured neck or spine and was also taken to a hospital by ambulance,” explained Foster.
Despite the shock and uncertainty surrounding Michael’s condition, his family has been encouraged by the support coming from throughout the South African cycling community.
“We are overwhelmed by the significant outpouring of support from the cycling community,” said Foster. “This is obviously a highly traumatic time for Michael and us as a family and we are so grateful for the interest and support,” said Foster.
Michael Foster, who incidentally also celebrated his 24th birthday on the day of the horrific incident, is one of South Africa’s leading young mountain bike racers. The 24-year-old, a former Maritzburg College pupil, won both the South African and African Elite Men’s XCO titles in 2025. He also won the South African Elite Men’s XCO title in 2024.
In 2026, Foster has contested five rounds of the UCI XCO World Cup Series in Asia and Europe. He currently has a UCI World Ranking of 67.
For now, the South African mountain bike community will be hoping for positive news as Foster begins what is expected to be a long and difficult recovery.
