You guys need more info. He was on a very steep hill climb with a dead bike and it wouldn't start. He was wrestling it around to go back down the hill to get out of the ruts and off the course. Then this happened. And I don't think Herbst was a front runner at that point. I doubt Herbst didn't see him before he got there. Why is it only the bike guys fault for getting hit?
well, don't get caught in technical sections, there is no room.
Hate to be an armchair commentator but I rode bikes in the 70s and my Truck is 8'2" wide and we "touch" just about everything we pass.
" I heard that truck just screaming through the mountains...... I could see him coming from hot 3 or 4 miles out." Under these conditions I absolutely will lean my bike up against the bank and step a few feet away until the screaming truck racing for the lead goes by.
I think in this situation (immobilized bike trying to go backwards on tight technical uphill), I would have just got off the bike and waited until the cluster of trucks passed and then tried to get my bike (what's left of it) going again.
people seem to think that big trophy trucks have all this precision control to it, while in reality they shimmy around on lose soil, bounce off rocks and want to drop into the same ruts that the bike is in. on top of that, the driver has no visibility on where exactly the wheels are planted and he is focused on what line he'd like to be taking ahead.
Moto vs. TT only has one outcome, and it doesn't matter really who is at fault, the biker is going to get hurt if there is contact. it's like the argument of the harley rider on the road that got creamed by the soccer mom in the SUV who pulled out in front, "it was her fault, she was on the phone"... as a moto rider, you gotta know what fight you're not going to win.
[EDIT]oh, and what's worse is that even if the first truck sees you and manages to slip by you without contact, the second truck might actually not see you at all if there is any amount of dust that got kicked up by the first truck.