In an unusual twist on the eternal struggle between man and machine, a very fat German man sustained only light injuries after he fell off his bicycle and was run over by a car.

His extra padding helped keep him safe, police said.

The 30 year old victim -- who weighs 440 pounds (200 kilograms) -- got away with minor injuries after he braked suddenly, fell off his bike and was subsequently mowed down by a passing Volkswagen Polo.

Or, make that "bumped into" by a Polo. The stout cyclist dislocated his hip in the fall, but otherwise suffered only scratches and a bloody nose from the underside of the vehicle, police said.

"(His bulk) certainly helped him in this case," Sven-Marco Claus, a spokesman for police in the western town of Gifhorn told Reuters news service.

"Someone smaller would probably not have been so lucky."