My Queen's Birthday honours go to those who came to my aide after being knocked off my bike coming down Oropi Road on Queen's Birthday Monday morning.

Sorry as I don't know most of your names; the local who provided a covering blanket as I lay on the road, the women in the leading car, who also happened to witness the event and then held my neck, my two fellow cyclists, the many people passing who stopped, directed traffic, just got in and helped. The ambulance crew, the police, the hospital staff; all the above provided kindness and compassion.

To you all, I am so grateful. I am literally bruised, scraped and battered, but alive! Thank you so much, you are good people.

To the driver of the white flat deck ute-like vehicle rego ?NU something; what were you thinking? You were two cars back, blaring on your horn.

You then passed, driving close to the last rider (about one metre away), even closer to the second rider (about 0.5m away) and then you drove so close to me you hit me and knocked me off.

You did not stop and have not come forward; are you not capable of publicly owning what you did? What was your point; having a bad day, don't like cyclists, drugged/drunk …? This behaviour is not normal and could kill. I challenge you to look at yourself and use your rage to do some good in our community.

Yours sincerely,

Gerard Eagar, Otumoetai