Out-of-control cyclist crashes into support car

An out-of-control professional cyclist in the Tour of Utah would have gone straight off the course and into the forest if he hadn't crashed headfirst into a support car.

Disturbing video of the crash, filmed during Stage 6, shows the rider flying down a steep hill and barely braking ahead of a sharp corner.

He would have been set to crash into spectators and trees during the descent at Guardsman Pass in Big Cottonwood Canyon, but a support vehicle turned at just the right moment to block his path.

After the brutal impact the rider, whose name was not released, was left lying motionless on the road.

Race officials rushed to his side to help and he was taken to hospital, where he is said to be alert and in a stable condition.

Two other cyclists crashed as they attempted to navigate around him at high speeds.

"You could tell he was out of control. I don't know if he expected a straight-away or didn't know the course, but he T-boned a support vehicle," fellow rider Aaron Cengiz told KSL News.