KEY POINTS:
Five-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown narrowly avoided serious injury after members of his training group were hit by a vehicle on the Coromandel yesterday.
Brown, who is a late entry for Saturday's Port of Tauranga Half Ironman triathlon at Mt Maunganui, had a lucky escape but his training partner and manager Mark Watson was taken to hospital.
The other two riders, leading triathletes Graham O'Grady and Martin van Barnveld, both suffered bruising and other injuries.
Watson suffered serious bruising and required 25 stitches after being treated at Thames Hospital.
The quartet was riding from their base at Whangamata towards Pauanui when they were hit from behind.
"The driver said she did not see us," Brown said.
"Mark suffered the worst of it, and the other two will have some sore bodies today. Their bikes are a write-off but overall we were very lucky in what could have been a very serious accident.
"I'm thankful that I was lucky enough to avoid any injuries in what is a crucial time in my preparations for Saturday's race and also with eight weeks until Ironman New Zealand."
Brown will still compete on Saturday although it is not known at this stage if O'Grady, who is set to take part in a team with his parents, will take part.
The 18th Port of Tauranga Half Ironman, which doubles as the Triathlon New Zealand championships, consists of a 2km swim in Pilot Bay, 90km bike to Papamoa and return and 21km run along the Mt Maunganui foreshore.
Brown told Radio Live that the accident happened at 7am and that the driver of the car was aged 16.
"He just wasn't able to pass us properly and skidded into us and just took out three of the guys real badly," he said.
Brown said the three damaged bikes, which he estimated at a value of $30,000, were "just a write off".
- NZPA
