The Australian: Dying man left for dead by cyclists - 30 August, 2006

Dozens of speeding cyclists failed to help a dying man knocked down by a rider during a dangerous bayside race. Witnesses said up to 50 cyclists continued their 60km/h charge in the so-called Hell Ride after the elderly man was struck. Cyclist Justin Heitman told the Herald Sun yesterday how he cradled 77-year-old James Gould as he lay on Beach Rd.

“He grabbed my hand. We found his ID, and we were talking to him and calling him by name, but he wasn’t responding. He tried to struggle with us. His eyes were locked into a stare,” Mr Heitman said. ” I told him we were trying to help him and to stay still . . . help is on its way. But he didn’t respond.

He held me and I held him until he went into the ambulance.” Mr Gould died in the Alfred hospital from head injuries. Mr Heitman, 35, said only the 30-year-old cyclist from St Kilda who hit Mr Gould and a handful of others stopped. The accident happened at a Mentone pedestrian crossing on Saturday morning. Mr Heitman told of seeing several near-misses involving children over the years, and said the Hell Riders were an accident waiting to happen.

“It’s just horrible. As a cyclist it make you so angry that people don’t slow down, and now a guy has died because of it,” he said. The notorious Hell Ride is an unsanctioned weekly race in which up to 200 cyclists ride along Beach Rd and Nepean Highway at speeds of up to 60km/h. It has occurred for about 20 years. In other developments:

POLICE were examining the possibility that charges more serious than failing to stop at a red light would be laid against the rider involved in the accident.

FRIENDS paid tribute to Mr Gould, and said he had had many years left to live.

ORIGINAL Hell Ride cyclists claimed the event had been hijacked by hooligans. Andrew Biggin, a friend of Mr Gould, said a daily walk was one of his main pleasures. “We knew he was going to live a long life because he was so fit and healthy,” he said.

“He would have got up on Saturday and thought, ‘It’s a beautiful day. I’ll go for a walk.’ “He was a really, really good bloke.” Former Olympic cyclist and regular Hell Rider Robert Crowe blasted a reckless element of the group putting lives in danger. He said cycling enthusiasts had been doing the Hell Ride for decades, but it had been infiltrated by a hooligan minority in the past five years.

Despite the tragedy, Mr Crowe said he believed that some riders would go on endangering themselves and others for thrills. Mr Crowe, who missed Saturday’s ride, said he had been told the man who hit Mr Gould was not a regular rider or a member of a local club. “Some people will never learn,” he said. Mr Crowe, who rode in the 100km team time trial at the 1992 Olympics, said the Hell Ride had swollen from about 50 elite riders to over 200 of varying ability in the past 15 years.

“We’ve all been worried about something tragic happening for a long time,” he said. “This is an innocent pedestrian who thought it was safe to walk. And why wouldn’t he, when he had the green man?” St Kilda Cycling Club president Jeff Provan, also a regular Hell Rider, hoped the accident would shock rogue riders into cycling responsibly.

“We totally condemn this type of reckless behaviour by cyclists. There’s no excuse for it,” he said. “This is a huge wake-up call. “We’ve all broken road rules in our time, but this will reinforce to everyone that accidents like this can be avoided with responsible riding.”

A memorial ride has been organised by the St Kilda Cycling Club as a mark of respect to Mr Gould. It will start on Friday, at the spot where he was hit. Police have appealed for any witnesses to contact them.