Cadel Evans calls out Australian drivers' "bad attitudes" towards cyclists after two riders seriously injured in deliberate hit-and-runs filmed and uploaded to social media

One of Australia's most famous cycling sons, 2011 Tour de France winner and 2009 world road race champion Cadel Evans, has spoken out about the danger cyclists face on the roads of his home country. The retired pro's comments come after a shocking double hit-and-run in Melbourne left two cyclists seriously injured in hospital, two riders deliberately mown down in separate incidents a short time apart, with footage filmed by a passenger in the vehicle and uploaded to social media.

The incidents have left the Melbourne cycling community shaken, both cyclists involved thankfully alive but in hospital with serious injuries including spinal fractures. Evans — who retired from racing at the end of 2015 — spoke to the Herald Sun ahead of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the UCI WorldTour race named after him, which takes place in Geelong, Victoria, this weekend, just over 50 miles away from site of the hit-and-run incidents.

During the interview he suggested that Australian drivers "lack awareness and concentration" and have "bad attitudes" towards cyclists, and that building more cycling infrastructure is just one part of the puzzle with "more education about cyclists' rights to use the roads and longer, more comprehensive driver training" needed.

> Cadel Evans says he won't ride his bike in Sydney – because it's too intimidating

"I think attitudes and education is actually more important than infrastructure," he said. "Around the world you see varying attitudes towards that and I was kind of hoping that things in Australia were improving, but evidently not... so of course the [Melbourne hit-and-runs] are really disappointing in that regard."

The 46-year-old, who won the Tour while riding for BMC Racing Team, said he did not want people to be put off cycling because of fear caused by "people's bad attitudes". He also explained how he always felt safer cycling in Europe due to drivers' awareness and better attitudes towards cyclists. 

"It could have been an absolute tragedy"

Evans' comments come during a grim week for Australian cycling, the aforementioned deliberate hit-and-runs on Beach Road in the south-east of Melbourne in the early hours of Tuesday morning prompting a major police investigation.

Officers were called to the crash site at 5.20am following reports of a 51-year-old cyclist being hit by the driver of a car. A short time later, another rider was hit by a car on the same route, a 72-year-old male cyclist taken to hospital with serious injuries. In both cases the driver of the vehicle involved did not stop.

Footage emerged on social media, apparently posted anonymously, and appearing to show the driver of a car hitting a cyclist, Victoria Police inspector Scott Dwyer calling the images "disgusting" as the force continues to investigate both reported incidents and the video, 7news reports.

A 51-year-old cyclist, remains in hospital with three spinal fractures, while the other cyclist was hospitalised with a fractured spine and a broken foot. Mr Gibson's co-worker said it could have been an "absolute tragedy" and learning that the collision was deliberate "accentuates the impact it has on everyone".

The local cycling community has expressed disgust at the incidents, Edward Hore the Australian Cycling Alliance's president calling the sharing of footage online as cowardly.

"I was shocked ... it's just really upsetting that people would go out of their way to harm someone like that, someone going about their business," local cyclist Karen Gittins added.

In further interviews with the Herald Sun other Melbourne cyclists had their say on the dangers cyclists face on the road, Harry Pearce saying it has "put the fear in you that there are actually people doing that on purpose".

"You feel very vulnerable on the road. There's not much between us and a serious injury," he said. "People are pretty shit sometimes and they ride intentionally too close, almost coming out of their lane or they pull out in front of you and sometimes you wonder if people are doing that on purpose."

Lily Field said her group ride for Wednesday had been cancelled due to fears about the driver having not been caught. "We were wondering if those people are still out there," she said. "It makes you wonder if it could happen again."