Awkward moment Angus Taylor tumbles off his bicycle and hits the pavement during 1,000km charity ride: ‘Pretty sore’
Australian Opposition Leader Angus Taylor came off his bicycle while turning at a roundabout during the 1,000km Pollie Pedal charity ride in south-east Queensland, but got straight back on and continued riding. He escaped serious injury, though he described feeling sore in his muscles and hip the following morning, and his bike required minor repairs.
The eight-day Pollie Pedal event, founded by former prime minister Tony Abbott in 1998, brings together MPs, veterans and community members to raise money for Wandering Warriors, a charity supporting Special Forces veterans transitioning to civilian life. Taylor, an experienced cyclist, said it was not his first crash and that he simply got up and kept going. He also used interviews around the event to comment on immigration policy, saying a future Coalition government would set caps based on housing supply, expected to be "well below 200,000".
- Angus Taylor fell off his bike during the 1,000km Pollie Pedal charity ride
- He escaped serious injury but felt sore and got straight back on
- Event raises funds for veterans' charity Wandering Warriors
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Angus Taylor is the leader of Australia's federal Opposition and a senior figure in the Liberal Party, part of the Coalition that lost government at the last election. He was taking part in Pollie Pedal, an annual eight-day cycling event founded in 1998 by former prime minister Tony Abbott, in which politicians ride alongside veterans and community members to raise money for charity.
The event's beneficiary, Wandering Warriors, supports Special Forces veterans as they adjust to civilian life after service. Pollie Pedal has become a familiar fixture in Australian politics, giving MPs from across the spectrum a chance to take part in a physically demanding fundraiser and often to speak to journalists along the route about broader political issues, including immigration and housing policy.