Hundreds of cyclists have gathered at the Sydney Opera House as part of a memorial ride for world-renowned cyclist Mike Hall, who was killed in a collision with a car on the outskirts of Canberra while competing in long distance race across Australia.
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Mr Hall, a champion British cyclist, was riding in the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race - a 5500km road cycling race from Fremantle to Sydney - when he was killed near the intersection of the Monaro Highway and Williamsdale Road on Friday morning.
On Sunday, tribute rides were held in cities across Australia in memory of the 35-year-old.
In Sydney, a contingent of several hundreds cyclists gathered in Surry Hills shortly after daybreak, before riding together to the Opera House - the designated end of the race.
Mr Hall's mother, Patricia Hall took to Facebook to thank the organisers of the memorial ride for the "fitting tribute" to her son.
"This is such a fitting tribute to Mike I will be thinking of you all around the world riding with my son in your heart," she wrote.
"I have not realised the great impact my son had on this sport how well loved he is and want to you to know I do so appreciate everything Jesse and Kristoff have done. Mike will be riding up front with you all."
Kristof Allegaert, from Belgium, had been riding neck-and-neck with Mr Hall before the incident on Friday. He led the ride in Sydney on Sunday morning.
Social media flourished with pictures of the ride, as Mr Hall's friends, fellow competitors, and other members of the cycling community paid tribute to the man who, as race organisers described, "revelled in the spirit and adventure of ultra-endurance cycling events."
#rideformike #IPWR #BeMoreMike pic.twitter.com/PztjpriUot??? Julian Stockwell (@Julioenroaro) April 1, 2017
It feels like all of Sydney's cycling community is out here today to pay tribute to Mike Hall. #rideformike #IPWR pic.twitter.com/6cDgDdEK5r??? Norman Ma (@darkhorse166) April 1, 2017
Mike Hall Memorial Ride #bemoremike #ipwr https://t.co/QOxikf4gNp pic.twitter.com/jH7Nz0cGRi??? Jan-Willem Bobbink (@jbobbink) April 1, 2017
Mr Hall was a star in the ultra-distance cycling community, having won a slew of major races. He won the 29,000 kilometre World Cycle Race in 2012, the 4400-kilometre Tour Divide from Canada to Mexico across the Rocky Mountains in 2013 and 2016, and the Trans Am Bike Race across America in 2014.
At the time of Friday's fatal collision, he was in riding in second place, and was expected to cross the finish line at the Sydney Opera House later on Friday.
Hours after his death, organisers called off the remainder of the race.
A crowd funding page to assist his family to "cover any costs" associated with his death has raised ??65,170 (over $100,000 AUD) in 48 hours.
"Mike will be remembered by us all for his kindness, good heart and bravery. Mike was a shining light in many of our lives, enabling us to find the best of ourselves," organiser of the crowd funding page James Hayden wrote.
