A father-of-six died of massive injuries after ploughing into the back of a broken-down vehicle during a cycle race, an inquest heard.

Peter Tindley, 76, was probably travelling at more than 20mph when the tragedy happened during a time trial on the A350 Upton bypass on Sunday August 1 last year, district coroner Sheriff Payne was told.

The Bournemouth inquest heard that Mr Tindley, described as “extremely fit” had his head down and was pedalling at speed at the time of the crash.

Mr Payne said: “The car was there to be seen – it was stationary and had hazard lights on yet Mr Tindley collided with it when he could quite easily have cycled around it. It seems quite clear that Mr Tindley did not become aware of the vehicle in front of him.”

The coroner heard that Mr Tindley, from Weymouth was 41 miles into a 50-mile time trial at 8.45am when the accident happened.

He collided with a Renault Clio, which was stationary because its driver had stopped when the exhaust fell off. He died of a “massive haemorrhage due to transection of the aorta and a fractured spine.”

Mr Tindley’s computer revealed he had travelled at an average speed of 21.8mph and a maximum of 33mph during the trial.

The inquest heard that Mr Tindley had been a member of the Weymouth and West Dorset section of the Cyclists’ Touring Club since 1996 and had recently returned from a cycling tour of Vietnam.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Payne said: “It appears to be a very tragic and unfortunate accident.”