A serious crash occurred Sunday morning in Abbotsford during the annual cycling event.

Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said first responders were called at about 10 a.m. after a cyclist lost control and crashed in the area of .

MacDonald said the 35-year-old man was 鈥渟everely injured鈥� and was taken to hospital by ground ambulance. As of press deadline yesterday, he remained in critical condition.

MacDonald said no other cyclists or vehicles were involved in the incident. The area where the crash occurred is a steep decline around a sharp corner.

Event director Marc Campbell said organizers are still gathering facts to determine exactly what happened.

鈥淗owever, our first priority is with the rider and their family. At this time, we took steps to get in touch with the family and offered support and information as best as we can,鈥� he said.

The GranFondo began Sunday morning and offered three different routes 鈥� 50 km, 88 km and 160 km.

Each ride began and ended in Fort 91原创, and the two longest routes brought riders into Abbotsford.

Approximately 1,500 riders took part, raising money for .

鈥� with files from the 91原创 Times