OLYMPIC champion Sara Carrigan is being sued $750,000 over a cycling accident that happened on a ‘bunch’ ride at her Mermaid Waters based cycling school.

Bernie Elsey Jr, the son of property developer Bernie Elsey, has lodged a claim for personal injury damages against Sara Carrigan Cycling and another cyclist Stephen John Milligan.

Mr Elsey and Ms Carrigan are both former students at Somerset College in Mudgeeraba — with Mr Elsey now working as the director of a construction company.

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In May last year Mr Elsey was on one of the cycling school’s ‘Go for Gold Cycling Bunch’ rides when he alleges another cyclist crashed into him.

During bunch rides cyclists ride in close formation behind a bunch leader.

In the damages claim currently before the Southport District Court Mr Elsey alleges that Mr Milligan failed to stop in time at a set of traffic lights then collided into him.

media_camera Carrigan founded Sara Carrigan Cycling to provide cycling training and skills development for cyclists of all abilities.

Mr Elsey claims he fell onto the road and suffered personal injury as a result.

After the accident Mr Elsey was treated in hospital for a complex left fractured femur and had a steel rod and screws permanently placed in his leg.

media_camera Sara Carrigan wins gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Once he was released from hospital he spent three months in a wheelchair then had to use crutches for another month.

As a result the claim states Mr Elsey now has restricted movement in his leg, walks with a marked limp and deals with constant pain and throbbing.

Mr Elsey claims Sara Carrigan Cycling breached its duty of care because the school “knew or ought to have known’’ Mr Milligan’s standard of cycling behaviour was not sufficient to ensure he posed no foreseeable risk.

It states Mr Milligan was “not satisfactorily trained and equipped to ride safely in the group ride on that day’’ and that he “ought to have been removed from the ride’’ when it became clear he was riding recklessly.

Mr Elsey told The Bulletin it was an “unfortunate accident’’ and said he had to pay dearly in the aftermath.

“I lost my house as a consequence of the whole accident as I was unable to pay the mortgage,” he said.

“I’m just trying to get back some quality of life.”

He said the claim against the school was nothing personal against Sara Carrigan and said her school was one of the safest places for bunch riding.

Ms Carrigan declined to comment on the case and said she would seek legal advice about the new claim.

The champion cyclist hit the height of her cycling career at the 2004 Olympics where she won a gold medal in the women’s road race.

In 2005 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Australia Day Honours List.

After announcing her retirement from professional sport at the end of 2008 Ms Carrigan founded Sara Carrigan Cycling to provide cycling training and skills development for cyclists of all abilities.

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