Tom Peacock, 21, appeared before Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on Monday after the incident last year.

The court heard he had been driving home from work on Plunketts Road on August 14.

He overtook the bike riders, who had been travelling two abreast, at about 100km/h.

The riders later told police he had been 20 centimetres from them when he passed, which he denied.

One of the riders threw his hand up after Peacock had passed before the driver stopped and reversed back.

The other rider had tried to avoid a confrontation and said they would have gone single file, but did not hear his car approaching.

The court heard Peacock had been angry and told the men they shouldn’t have been on the road.

One of the riders told Peacock to “f--- off” and said they had just as much right to be using the road.

Peacock reversed back and struck one bike, and again reversed back before stopping abruptly.

One of the riders called police and officers were later told the riders had felt helpless.

Peacock was arrested the following day and denied driving his vehicle at such close range to the men or reversing at them. 

Peacock told the court, through his lawyer Sally Wilson, one of the men had made an obscene gesture and said he had actually crossed double lines and travelled into the dirt to pass the riders.

His family knew the cyclists and Peacock wrote a letter of apology after the incident.

Ms Wilson said the car was now locked in his parents’ garage and he had organised a bike to travel to work. “There’s some irony in that, Ms Wilson,” Magistrate Ian Watkins replied.

He was fined $1000 and had his licence cancelled for six months. “The irony … is you’re now a cyclist,” the magistrate said when sentencing the 21-year-old.