World champion cyclist pleads guilty over death of Olympic star wife in car incident

FORMER world cycling champion Rohan Dennis had pleaded guilty over a car crash in Australia which killed his wife Melissa Hoskins.

Fellow Olympic cyclist Hoskins, 32, died in hospital on 30 December 2023, after being struck by a vehicle being driven by Dennis outside their home in Adelaide.

The 34-year-old was initially charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving without due care.

But on Tuesday he admitted a lesser charge - one aggravated count of creating the likelihood of harm.

Dennis, from Adelaide, will be sentenced at a later date.

It carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Dennis' guilty plea means he has admitted to driving a car when Hoskins was in close proximity, knowing that act was likely to cause harm or being recklessly indifferent to whether it would.

Jane Abbey KC said: "There was no intention of Mr Dennis to harm his wife and this charge does not charge him with responsibility for her death."

Hoskins was survived by her two young children whom she shared with her husband Dennis.

She was a world champion in the team pursuit in 2015 and a two-time Olympian, finishing fifth at Rio 2016.

Her tragic death triggered a wave of tributes from around the world.

Hoskins, who retired from pro cycling in 2017, married Dennis in February 2018.

Dennis, who retired from professional cycling in 2023, won stages at the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

A multiple world champion on both road and track, he won road time trial bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having won team pursuit silver at London 2012.

He also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.