A cyclist who launched a heated diatribe against a female driver is a known Olympian and has been an independent chair of a Sydney investment management company.
Single mother Monique was driving along Pittwater Road in the city’s northern beaches last week when she was challenged by Irish cyclist Tony Lally, who accused her of cutting him off in traffic.
Concerned about the altercation, the mother got out her phone to capture the 68-year-old cyclist, who opened her driver’s side door and began yelling at her.
‘You f***ing c***,’ Mr Lally shouted, as he leant into the car and appeared to attempt to swat the phone away.
‘Are you f**king blind, you fat c***. You cut me off, you pulled right in front of me! You nearly knocked me off!’
Mr Lally then pulled out his own phone to began filming Monique, stating ‘it takes two to tango’.
Monique screamed back at him, before he rode away.
Daily Mail Australia can now reveal rider Mr Lally is a high-flying executive who has worked at some of Australia’s biggest financial and superannuation institutions.
According to Mr Lally’s LinkedIn page, he is the Independent Chair for Equity Trustees Superannuation Limited.
‘Tony has a solid professional network across the financial services sector,’ the LinkedIn page read.
‘He has substantial expertise in the superannuation market, both as the CEO of a major fund, as well as non-executive director and non-executive chair of the major superannuation industry representative group.
He is a strong supporter of commercial relationships and member advantages.’
Mr Lally was previously the CEO for industry fund Sunsuper, which recently amalgamated with QSuper to become Australian Retirement Trust.
Mr. Lally competed in the individual cycling road race event for Ireland at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
Since then, people have been vying for his riding skills.
Mr. Lally was originally listed as a “member of the coaching commission” for Cycling Australia on LinkedIn.
Mr. Lally, according to Cycling Australia, is no longer associated with the group.
Regardless of the type of vehicle or mode of transportation, all users of the road are encouraged to respect and care for one another, according to a spokesman.
Mr. Lally frequently uploads his bike routes to the fitness program Strava, and the monitoring website shows that on the day of the conflict, he went 100 km.
It was Mr. Lally in the video, according to several sources.
On Sydney’s north shore, he is the owner of a lavish five-bedroom mansion.
He gave the reporter a death gaze and closed the door when Daily Mail Australia knocked on his door.
When Mr. Lally rode away from the scene while he and the mother both threatened to contact the police, the video came to an end.
Monique, who stated she gave Mr. Lally plenty of room and gave him the finger as she turned, claimed that “the day after it happened, I just broke apart.”
I was trembling. I was unable to drive. Driving wasn’t secure.
The tragedy has renewed calls for registration requirements for bicycles using NSW roadways.
There is nothing you can do because there is no license plate, no identification, Sam Macedone, an attorney, told Seven News.
In NSW, the debate over whether bicycles should be required to have licenses has persisted over the past few years.
This is because most Australians are tired of the numerous laws and regulations that are already forced upon them by three different levels of government.
The chief executive officer of Bicycle NSW, the state’s leading bicycle advocacy group, Peter McLean, previously told Daily Mail Australia that the discussion is complicated because it raises the issue of whether the license should be applied to the rider or the bike, or both.
He stated that although his organization had discussed such measures with the government, he thought that boosting safety for bike riders and motorists was a question of education.
The majority of cyclists, according to Mr. McLean, also possess driver’s licenses and are aware of traffic laws.
“Drivers must be aware that cyclists take up less space on the road, and cyclists must be aware of drivers.”
To change the culture in Australia, education and awareness are essential steps.
We also need to show more consideration for other road users.
After a spike in fatalities and other incidents in 2014, which was partially attributed to the growth in men and women taking up cycling in their middle years, NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay campaigned for the introduction of a cycling license to reduce traffic fatalities.
But starting in March 2016, Mr. Gay drastically increased fines for cyclists who broke traffic laws rather than offering them a license.
In NSW, fines for cyclists were increased to match those for vehicles.
As a result, the cost of not wearing a helmet is now $330, the cost of running a red light is $439, the cost of riding carelessly, violently, or recklessly is $439, and the cost of failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing is $439.