Cycling: Twenty cyclists, including one Olympic hopeful, hurt after conflict with irate driver in Australia

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 04:04 PM

Seems like nasty drivers are a world-wide phenomenom...

An Australian Olympic cyclist was thrown dazed to the ground when a motorist collided with his elite training pack, scattering dozens of riders over a busy Sydney road and sparking a police call Friday for witnesses. The alleged road rage incident left 20 riders with minor injuries, including Beijing hopeful Ben Kersten.

Kersten, whose bike was mangled, was left lying dazed on the road after the driver collided with the 50 cyclists, including former Olympians, on a weekly dawn ride. The sprinter told reporters that in the moments after falling off his bike, he feared for the safety of his fellow riders, as motorists drove by yelling: 'Go get a car, you tightarses'.

"This was one of the dirtiest examples of road rage I've ever seen," he was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press.

'This guy deserves to go to jail. You could do that 100 times and 99 times someone is going to die."

Kate Nichols, who was lucky to survive a horrific car accident in 2005 in Germany which almost wiped out Australia's female road cycling team, suffered scratches and bruises to her right side in the encounter. The Sydney incident forced the 23-year-old to relive the horror of the German crash in which an out-of-control car plowed into an Australian training pack, killing cyclist Amy Gillett.

'I've been currently suffering a lot of illness and getting back from injuries and it was actually my first bunch ride back in a long time," Nichols told reporters.

"It was not good timing for me, motivationally and psychologically, but I'm going to do my best to get back out there."

Her father, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Kevin Nichols, said the cyclists were traveling at about 60 kilometres (37 miles) per hour when the car began swerving into the pack. "He sped ahead and pulled in front of the pack. I though, 'Uh oh' and began warning riders around me to slow down," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"Then suddenly he slammed the brakes on and it was too late for anyone to get out of the way."

New South Wales police said they have interviewed a man over the incident but no charges have been made. The investigation continues