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Two Australian cyclists still on
life support after crash in Germany


Karsten Schoss/OTZ/Getty Images
Rescue personel work at the scene of a fatal accident involving some of Australia 's top women cyclists near the town of Gera , on July 18, 2005 just outside Zeulenroda , Germany . Amy Gillett, 29, was killed when a car driven by an 18-year-old woman struck her group of cyclists during a training ride.

AFP
07/22/2005

Two of Australia 's top women cyclists were still on life support after being hit by an out-of-control car that also killed team-mate Amy Gillett in Germany this week, Cycling Australia (CA) said Thursday.

Alexis Rhodes, 20, and Louise Yaxley, 23, were both unconscious with serious and extensive injuries after the accident on Tuesday.
Three other injured cyclists -- Katie Brown, 21, Lorian Graham, 27, and Kate Nichols, 20 -- were in a satisfactory condition, CA said.

Memorial services were held Wednesday in Australia and Germany for 29-year-old Gillett who died instantly when she and her five compatriots took the full force of the car outside Zeulenroda in southern Germany .

CA said Rhodes suffered serious chest trauma and spinal injuries, fractures of parts of her thoracic spine and seven broken bones in her back. She would require further surgery.

The cycling body said there was no evidence at this stage that Rhodes had spinal cord damage.

"There are bone fragments near her spinal cord and doctors will operate to remove those in due course. Doctors are keeping Alexis unconscious, on an automatic ventilator and will not wake her until they believe it is medically safe to do so," CA said in a statement.