CALGARY -- A cyclist in his 70s suffered traumatic injuries Thursday morning in a crash along Highway 1 near Canmore.

It happened just after 11:30 a.m. about a kilometre east of Lac Des Arcs. STARS Air Ambulance was used to transport a 74-year-old Canmore man to Foothills hospital in critical, life-threatening condition.

Police said the man was riding east when he lost control and fell, hitting his head, and it appears he was not wearing a helmet. Road conditions were bare at the time but police said it was windy.

There was also a loaded trailer attached to the man's bike.

EMS said several people witnessed the crash, including a physician.