Nicky Hayden, Nicky Hayden death, MotoGP, MotoGP news
Nicky Hayden.Reuters.

The motorsport world was in shock as former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden passed away at the age of 35 after a cycling accident in Italy last week. Hayden suffered chest and head injuries after he collided with a Peugeot, smashing into the windscreen of the vehicle before landing on the road.

He was taken to the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena where he remained in the intensive care unit for five days before the hospital released a statement on Monday saying that he was dead.

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Following his death, the Express quoted his brother Tommy Hayden as saying: "On behalf of the whole Hayden family and Nicky's fiancée Jackie I would like to thank everyone for their messages of support – it has been a great comfort to us all knowing that Nicky has touched so many people's lives in such a positive way."

"Although this is obviously a sad time, we would like everyone to remember Nicky at his happiest – riding a motorcycle. He dreamed as a kid of being a pro rider and not only achieved that but also managed to reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport in becoming World Champion. We are all so proud of that."

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"It is also important for us to thank all the hospital staff for their incredible support – they have been very kind. With the further support of the authorities in the coming days we hope to have Nicky home soon."

Two weeks ago Hayden's fiancee posted a photo of the two of them on her Instagram account, celebrating the day the couple got engaged. Her post read: "One year ago, yesterday, this guy made the best decision of his life."

Hayden came into the spotlight after he narrowly defeated Valentino Rossi to the 2006 MotoGP title. He featured in the sport between 2003 and 2016, winning three races with Honda during that time. However, for the last two seasons he was focusing on World Superbikes where he has also been riding for Honda.

Since the news about Hayden's death came out, a number of sporting celebrities, including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Jenson Button and Steve Parrish, have been posting messages on Twitter, sending their condolences to his family.