Cyclist is PUNCHED after he gave the middle finger to white van man in overtaking row

Jimmy Johnson posted the shocking footage online — and received a barrage of abuse

Cyclist punched by motorist after giving the middle finger

A CYCLIST caught the shocking moment he was punched by a van driver who he had given the middle finger to.
Amateur rider Jimmy Johnson was pedalling home from a trip with his cycling club when a passing van appeared to skim past his bicycle.
Angry Jimmy, 66, quickly let the driver know he was not happy and flashed a one-finger salute towards the white van.

The white van appears to narrowly avoid Jimmy's bike as he pedals along the road in Tamworth, Staffs

And his helmet camera caught the moment when the driver slammed on his brakes to confront the cyclist on the road in Tamworth, Staffs, last Sunday.
Wheeling up alongside the van, the angry pair let their views known to eachother before the motorist lashes out at Jimmy and speeds off.
Jimmy said: "I've been cycling all my life and had some pretty close scrapes, but I've never had a vehicle pass that close to me.
"It was ridiculous. The van actually brushed the guy behind me on the shoulder. It could have been a lot more serious.

The angry cyclist, 66, flashes a finger at the motorist, prompting the white van man to quickly slam on his brakes

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"I reacted and made my feelings quite clear to him and then he just braked to a halt in the middle of a busy road as if I had done something wrong.
"He'd obviously seen me giving him the finger when he checked his mirrors.
"If I was driving a car I would have flashed him, but I made my feelings clear. He obviously took exception to that and decided to cause a scene.
"He said it was a road and I shouldn't be so close to the car. I attempted to explain I was perfectly entitled to be on the road, and then he just whacked me.

And after the two exchange a few choice words over the incident, the driver appears to lash out at dad-of-three Jimmy

"He punched the side of my helmet and there was a degree of shock. I think he was more stunned than I was."
But the dad-of-three got very little sympathy when he posted the video online, receiving a stream of abuse for his troubles.
He added: "When the video went online some of the comments were absolutely horrendous. I had to take my name off the post because of some of the abuse."