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Nicky Hayden Dies After Car-Bike Crash

The American motorcycle racer was known for his talent, charisma, and love of cycling.

Catharine Erwin |
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The American motorcycle racer was known for his talent, charisma, and love of cycling. – By Catharine Erwin

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American motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden died from his injures after being hit by a car last Wednesday while road biking on the Rimini coast in Italy. Hayden was only 35 years old and was racing in World Superbike (the world championships for superbikes) for the Honda Red Bull team.
Like many other motorcycle racers, Hayden was also an avid cyclist and enjoyed his road training. In fact his last post on Instagram shows him out riding. Kevin Franks, brand manager at Specialized, says “He was so talented, genuine, compassionate, inspiring and was always quick to make you laugh. He truly was a humble warrior who we all respected—and that respect was mutual….We are all mourning his loss, but we’ll never forget the way he made us feel. Nicky was a close friend of not only myself and the Specialized Family but of the cycling industry as a whole.”

Miles W/ the Mayor of Misano @denispazzaglini

A post shared by Nicky Hayden (@nicky_hayden) on

Sadly, Hayden was not the first professional athlete to perish in a cycle/car crash in Italy this spring. Astana racer Michele Scarponi was killed in April in his home town of Filottrano.

Hayden was the last American to win a Moto GP Championship in 2006 (on the Repsol Honda team.) He was a talented rider who came from a family of motorcycle racers in Kentucky. Nicknamed  ‘The Kentucky Kid’,  his twang, talent, swagger and closeness with his family all made him a unique character in the racing world. He was the most gregarious and well-liked racer in the paddock and brought American cool to World Superbike racing and to cycling.

Hayden will be remembered for his talent, his sportsmanship and his gentle manners.

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