A PROFESSIONAL cycling coach knocked from his bike while leading thirteen elite riders in Gwent has told the Argus how the incident has taken the joy of the sport away from him.

Courtney Rowe was forced to call time on his successful amateur racing career, which saw him win Welsh, British and European titles, as a result of the crash in Newport last year.

It was caused when Brandon Watkins, of Chepstow Road, Newport, got behind the wheel on March 23, despite not having a licence.

The car driven by Watkins, 25, was also found to have a number of warning lights indicating low brake fluid and faulty brakes by police. 

Watkins earlier pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicle taking, Newport Crown Court heard when he appeared for sentencing yesterday.

Riding with 57-year-old Mr Rowe when the collision occurred on Abernant Road, Langstone, was Mr Rowe’s daughter in law, three time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Dani King.

Fellow world champion Amy Hill and several Welsh title winning riders were also part of the group.

Speaking in court, Mr Rowe, who is the father of a Team Sky and three-time Tour de-France cyclist, said he had been left with numerous injuries by the country lane crash, and had lost his racing sponsorship.

“The accident has had a significant impact on my life,” he said.

“I struggle with nerve damage to my left hand and arm, and as a result I can no longer change the gears on my bike. I now ride with a bike adapted for a disabled person.”

The court heard, from prosecutor Chris Evans, how the silver Vauxhall Zafira driven by Watkins, which had belonged to a family member who had recently died, swerved from left to right as it approached the group, before hitting Mr Rowe and ending up in a hedge.

The two front tyres on the car were “extensively worn”, Mr Evans told the court, while the front disc brakes were “covered in rust”.

The court also heard that Watkins had one previous conviction, for driving without a licence in 2014.

In mitigation, Sarah Walters told the court that there were concerns the defendant would be at risk if he were imprisoned because of his mental health.

Ms Walters said: “He was not driving that car for his own selfish purposes. What he was doing is returning the vehicle to a Motability dealership.

“This defendant is so withdrawn that he has been unable to speak to me himself. A psychiatrist report commented that it was very difficult to get anything from him.”

But sentencing Watkins to eight months in jail, Judge Daniel Williams said: “You chose to get in the car and drive it to where the accident took place. You also chose to drive through the lanes.

“The inescapable conclusion is that you were trying to avoid detection. The sentence which I am handing down must reflect the vulnerability of people in Mr Rowe’s position as cyclists on the road.”

Speaking to the Argus after the sentencing, Mr Rowe said: “The accident has taken the enjoyment out of cycling for me. I just see danger everywhere.

“I’m certainly not as confident as I was before.

“I’m just not the rider I was.”