By Jacquelin Magnay, Dylan Welch, Dan Emerson and Sunanda Creagh
THE Commonwealth Games cycling champion and world silver medallist Ben Kersten has had his preparation for the Beijing Olympics interrupted by an apparent road-rage attack on 50 cyclists yesterday morning.
The group included Kate Nichols, who was badly injured in a crash in Germany in 2005 involving the Australian women's road cycling team that killed Amy Gillett. Nichols had just returned to group riding after a long break.
A driver of a Ford Falcon accelerated past the cyclists on Southern Cross Drive, near Sydney airport, at about 6.30am yesterday, reportedly swerving in front of the group and braking suddenly, giving them little time to stop.
The group included many Olympians, including Kevin Nichols, Graeme Brown, Michelle Ferris and Matthew White. Ferris was at the front of the pack. "We we're all in the left hand lane and this Ford Falcon came from the middle lane and swerved into the front of the bunch and braked suddenly," Ferris said. "We were doing about 40 kmh. There was no way for me to go and I went straight into the back of his car and other riders went into me.
"My chin [hit] the back window and my bike was totalled."
The smash led a semi-trailer to jack-knife and cars to swerve.
"We were all very worried about [Kate Nichols]," Ferris said. "When I saw her she was as white as a ghost, still sitting on the ground."
"She's pretty shaken," said Kate's father, 1984 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Nicholls. "She just started [riding again] last week. She had a long break and had just started out again. She hadn't ridden with this group for months."
Kersten suffered whiplash and shock. He said his arm, hip and ankle were sore. "We're so lucky somebody isn't dead," he said.
"We were pushing 60kmh, sprawled all over the road with trucks going past. I really don't know how someone isn't dead.
"This is our training ground. We can't ride round and round a football stadium at 60kmh. The law states we are allowed on the road."
Australian cycling officials will delay a series of race-offs between Kersten and Shane Kelly for a remaining spot in the Beijing Olympic team.
Mr Nicholls said the group had not been holding up traffic and was obeying road rules that allow cyclists to ride two abreast on the road. "You cannot comprehend or predict why someone would do something like this."
The NRMA's senior adviser on Road Safety, Anne Morphett, said a large bike pack sometimes stretched to 40metres. "They need to break them up so cars can overtake safely. You might have three across and five deep, but not 40 or 50 deep," she said. "We want to see people get their training in but they need to be in areas that are safe - and these are public roads, not a training facility."
The president of the National Roads and Cyclists Association, Alan Odds, said cyclists had every right to be on the road but "they still get abuse hurled at them, stuff thrown at them - female cyclists get wolf-whistled".
"So what if a cyclist takes 30 seconds off your journey to work?" he said. "For some reason, lycra to motorists is like a red rag to a bull."
Police last night had not found the driver but had the car's number.
Cycling Australia said the semi-trailer driver was a hero for stopping so quickly and called for him or her to come forward.