Fight to recover

By Melissa Donchi
A PROFESSIONAL cyclist from Chum Creek has been injured after he was involved in an horrific road accident that could end his career on the competition circuit.
Local cycling champion Rob Amos was riding home from work along the Maroondah Highway when he was involved in a collision with a car travelling in the same direction.
When his son called home to say his dad had forgotten to pick him up from soccer practice, wife Jan knew something was wrong.
It was just after 6pm on Wednesday, 25 July and he was rarely ever late.
She drove up and down the Maroondah Highway but the accident that would nearly claim his life had already happened hours ago.
The police and the ambulances were gone and the helicopter had taken Mr Amos to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.
It was after 8pm by the time Mrs Amos heard from Yarra Glen Police that he had been involved in the accident and the rest, she said, is all a blur.
“No one would tell me anything for hours because he was too unstable,” Mrs Amos said.
“And I knew as soon as they took me into a little room that it wasn’t good.”
Mrs Amos was told that her husband had a 30 per cent chance of survival and that he was most likely paralysed.
By 2.30am doctors were still working to stabilise his condition and ruled out the possibility of surgery until the next day. He would later undergo four rounds of intensive surgery.
He spent a month in intensive care and has just been transferred to a rehabilitation centre in Donvale where he hopes to recover from his ordeal.
But, according to his wife, it’s still too early to tell.
“The doctors have told us that he is incredibly lucky to be alive,” Mrs Amos said.
“If he hadn’t been so fit he almost certainly would have died.”
Mr Amos had been riding his bike for more than 35 years having also competed on the professional circuit.
Mr Amos, who races regularly with the 200 strong Eastern Vets Cycling Club, has won two Victorian State Road Titles as well as the Club Age Championships in the Criterium, Time Trial and Road Race.
He has also won the Masters Category 40 to 50 years – over five races in the Fat Tyre Flyers winter mountain bike series.
The eastern ranges Traffic Management Unit (TMU) recently confirmed that no one was to blame for the accident.
Senior Constable Rust said no charges had been laid against the driver.
“The accident occurred on a particularly dark section of the highway where there were no lights,” Sen Const Rust said.
“There was no evidence of speed or careless driving.”
However, Mr Amos will not be riding again anytime soon.
Mr Amos was last week rushed back to The Alfred hospital with problems with his pelvis and he will be a rehab outpatient for a minimum of three months.
Mrs Amos appealed for drivers to watch out for cyclists on the roads. “We need to have better driver education because cyclists are legitimate road users who have rights,” Mrs Amos said.
“Drivers need to raise their awareness of cyclists on our roads because when they don’t the results are devastating.”
She said the family are taking the future one step at a time.
“At this stage we are just hoping he can come home for Christmas,” Mrs Amos said.