AN experienced cyclist riding in a time-trial competition was killed after his bike smashed into a caravan, an inquest heard.

Christopher Auker, 65, had his head down when he failed to notice a four-wheel drive car. The vehicle, which was towing a caravan, was parked on a grass verge after suffering a puncture.

He dodged a pothole in the road, but did not spot the caravan’s rear poking out into the left hand lane only a few hundred yards ahead.

Mr Auker, of Selby, tried to swerve out of the lane at the last second, but hit the caravan on an angle.

He was killed instantly after suffering severe head and spinal injuries on the ten-mile route along the A63 on March 29. Mr Auker was among 150 cyclist taking part in the race organised by the Hull City Road Club.

Hull Coroner’s Court heard the blown-out tyre had not been changed since it was manufactured in 2000 – unknown to the driver, Elliot Smith.

Professor Paul Marks recorded the death as an accident and said Mr Smith did all he could to move his vehicle out of danger and had his hazard warning lights on.

Mr Smith privately offered his condolences to Mr Auker’s wife of nine years, Elizabeth Susan Auker, and her daughter Leanne after the hearing.

In a statement read in court, Mrs Auker said: “Chris gave me memories that I will cherish forever. We had a special relationship and I will miss him for the rest of my life. He had a lovely smile with a wicked sense of humour.

“He was a keen cyclist and had been cycling for years before he met me. My parting words to him before setting off on this particular time trial were ‘Take care’. I never got the chance to speak to him again.”

Mr Auker, a member of cycling club Brough Wheelers, was wearing rider number 79 and travelling at around 30mph with his head down and helmet on during the Good Friday race.

Race organiser Geoffrey Buckshall said Humberside Police and the Highways Agency passed the event as safe, having applied for the race to be held earlier in the year.