How one rider’s dream trip to Canada turned into emergency surgery, and why travel insurance made all the difference.
Alex, pictured on a jump in Whistler, Canada before his holiday ending fall
“That first week in Whistler for me was mind-blowing,” he said. “It’s somewhere where I’ve always wanted to go. We were riding for a week and it was amazing.”
Then, in an instant, the dream trip changed. On a large jump, around 20 metres by his recollection, Aleix came up short. Instead of clearing the gap and landing smoothly on the downhill landing ramp, his back wheel struck the edge of the landing, stopping the bike’s momentum and tipping him over his handlebars.
“Then, lights off,” he said. “I don’t remember anything else.”
For an experienced rider who had raced in Australia and described mountain biking as his main hobby, it was a shock.
“I’ve broken bones before, but not like this,” he said. “I got told that I broke it in four pieces.”
The injury would require two plates and six or seven screws in his pelvis, followed by six weeks without putting any weight on his right leg.
As Aleix came to terms with what had happened, he also had to deal with the practicalities of being seriously injured overseas. One of the first questions at the medical centre was whether he had insurance. Thankfully, Aleix did.
“You always have that uncertainty,” he said of his travel insurance. “Is it going to be an easy process? Am I going to have to first pay? How much is this going to cost? At the beginning it was a little bit stressful.”
However, much to his relief, his experience with 1Cover quickly became stress-free. According to Aleix, 1Cover communicated with him swiftly and worked directly with the hospitals in the background. By the time he later received invoices from Canada and forwarded them on, the response was simple: the bills had already been paid.
“I did not have to chase for anything,” he said. “The hospitals were communicating directly with you guys. That was 10 out of 10.”
His total claim came to roughly $72,000, a figure that left him taken aback. Without insurance, Aleix says, the financial consequences would have been significant.
“If I had to pay for it, I would have had to sell my car,” he said. “$316, I think I paid for the cover, saved me a lot of headaches, money… it was the best $300 I ever spent.”
But it wasn’t just the medical costs that shaped Aleix’s experience. 1Cover also arranged a hotel while he waited to fly home, a business-class flight so he could travel safely, and assistance at the airport to help him get home.
Being injured and travelling alone made that support particularly important.
“I was on my own when all this happened and I couldn’t even look after myself,” he said. “You looked after me in every single aspect.”
For travellers planning adventurous activities, Aleix is clear that having the right cover matters. He had paid extra for Adventure Sports cover, which gave him cover for the mountain biking he was doing.
“Just get it,” he said. “You don’t want to need it and not have it. It’s just not worth it… it’s a no-brainer.”
Two months after surgery, Aleix is walking again, although he still has a slight limp, and is already thinking about returning to Canada. The accident may have cut his trip short, but the experience has left him with a lasting appreciation for having support when something goes wrong far from home.
For Aleix, the value of his travel insurance went well beyond the medical bills. While he was injured, alone and unable to look after himself, knowing his medical care, accommodation and journey home were being taken care of meant he could focus on recovering rather than worrying about how everything would be sorted.
And despite everything that happened, the accident hasn’t put him off returning to Canada.
“I’ll definitely be going back to Canada,” he said. “I’ll be using your service.”
Cycling FAQs
Planning a cycling trip abroad? Here's what you need to know...
1Cover travel insurance policies automatically include cover for non-contact sports and leisure activities, including recreational cycling, at no additional cost.
If you're planning to take your own high-value bicycle on holiday, you can add our Bicycle Pack for cover of your bike.
If you're planning a more adventurous ride, such as downhill mountain biking, you'll need to add the Adventure Pack to ensure you're covered.
1Cover does not provide cover for bicycles, we only provide cover for you medically whilst riding. (Please note that medical cover doesn’t apply if you have a Frequent Traveller Domestic or Domestic policy.)
We do not provide cover for bicycles under our policies, whether these are rentals or your own.
There is a provision to claim for Cancellation Fees and Lost Deposits of unused travel arrangements if you have to cancel your trip or your trip is shortened due to claimable events such as injury/illness, and the fees cannot be recouped from the provider.
We would not be able to provide medical cover for you if you are going against medical advice.
Provided you are within the parameters stated in the PDS, and you don’t have a Frequent Traveller Domestic or Domestic Policy, then the benefit we offer is unlimited. Please note that we don't cover for Search and Rescue.
In an emergency, get yourself to hospital. As soon as it's possible, we advise that you or a member of your travelling party call our medical assistance team who will be able to liaise with you or the hospital.
Find out all information you need about what’s covered and what’s not before you go adventuring.
Amongst other places, people go cycling in New Zealand, China, Europe, Thailand and the US. Find out all about travel insurance on our individual destination pages.
Have a pre-existing medical condition that might affect your cycling? Pregnant? Or want to know about repatriation? Find out everything you need to know here.
1Cover ® is a registered trademark of 1Cover Pty Ltd. 1Cover Pty Ltd ABN 91 105 954 265, is an authorised representative of Coffre-Fort Pty Limited ABN 66 125 358 518, AFS Licence No. 472457. 1Cover is located at Level 1, 332 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Before you buy, please read the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination. Any information contained on this website is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider these having regard to the Product Disclosure Statement (‘PDS’). Before you purchase, please note in particular, the eligibility criteria, travel warnings in place and limitations to claim under multiple policy sections.
This insurance is underwritten by HDI Global Specialty SE, a company registered in Germany acting through its Australian branch, HDI Global Specialty SE – Australia, ABN 58 129 395 544, AFSL 458776.
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