OTTAWA – Cycling Canada says downhill mountain bike professional Steve Smith has died.
It says the 26-year-old Smith, from Cassidy, B.C., died Tuesday as a result of a massive brain injury suffered from a motorcycle crash near his home in Nanaimo, B.C, last weekend.
Smith competed on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit and was a member of Devinci Global Racing.
He won the overall title in 2013 after winning three World Cup events and was trying to get back on top this season after injuries sidelined him for parts of the past two seasons.
His final race was in Lourdes, France in April, where he placed second.
Jacques Landry, Cycling Canada’s high performance director, says by all accounts, Smith was “definitely the best downhill mountain biker Canada has ever known.”
“We are really stunned and disheartened to hear of Steve’s passing,” said Landry in a statement late Tuesday.
“Steve left his mark by winning multiple national titles and winning the overall World Cup series in 2013, as well as three World Cup events. He will be greatly missed by the international downhill community, Canadian mountain bikers and the people he was the closest to. Our sincerest condolences go out to Steve’s family, teammates and supporters in this very sad time,” added Landry.