Some more related news from The Age today...
Emotional coach on the road to recovery By Melissa Ryan, Adelaide
January 13, 2006
WHEN cyclists Alexis Rhodes and Kate Nichols made their comeback to road racing last week from the terrible accident that claimed the life of Amy Gillett-Safe and inflicted frightful injuries on her teammates, Australian women's road coach Warren McDonald, who had witnessed that deadly day last July, had his heart warmed.
When the Commonwealth Games individual time-trial is contested on March 21 — the event in which Gillett-Safe had been aiming to win the gold medal — McDonald and the women's team will be flooded with tragic and joyful memories of Gillett-Safe, as they honour her by seeking the victory she had wanted.
"(The Melbourne time-trial) may be not emotional, but a heart-warming thing. I think riders would want to ride to the best of their ability because that's what Amy would want. That was Amy's gift, as a time-trialler as well," McDonald said. "I think anywhere in the next sort of 12 months to do with time-trialling, there's going to be a memory for people because that's what Amy did and also she was a very strong and very committed team member."
He was following the six riders — Nichols, Rhodes, Gillett-Safe, Katie Brown, Lorian Graham, who will not defend her Australian road championship today as she has not yet returned from her injuries, and Louise Yaxley — in a team car when a German teenager careered into his charges.
McDonald carries on, bearing the emotional and psychological scars from the day. "Last year, there was triumph and tragedy. We finished with the world No. 1 and then with such a tragedy, it's a coach's worst nightmare. It affects different people in different ways and with me, and the five other girls, I've tried to be strong and move on.
"It has been hard, it's been very hard. But when you see the girls back riding again … the cycling family and my wife (Sian) have been pillars of strength to help me to where I am today," he said.
"As a lot of people are saying, the first 12 months is the hardest, especially with the (Amy Gillett-Safe) Foundation ride that myself and my wife and a lot of people rode in Geelong.
"It brings back the heart-warming memories of Amy, but also it's still very emotional and it's still very tiring."
Today, Nichols and Rhodes will be among the 57 starters in the Australian road championship at Mount Torrens, in the Adelaide Hills, where the national title will be decided over five laps of a 19.5-kilometre course.
Among the favourites to take out the title, which has no bearing on Commonwealth Games selection, are Victorian Katie Mactier, Olympic gold medallist Sara Carrigan and world No. 1 Oenone Wood.
Of Nichols and Rhodes, McDonald said: "It's just amazing, it's a testament to all of the girls and their drive and desire. That's the reason they're back.
"Different riders had different injuries and it's going to take them longer but all of them have that drive. You get a bit of a chill down the spine to see them back racing — not a chill, you'd call it adrenaline. It's great to see. It's a heart-warming feeling."
