Former MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden Dies at Age 35

Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden died Monday at the age of 35. 

As Mark Critchley of The Independent relayed, Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy, where Hayden was being treated in the intensive care unit, announced the American had died.   

Hayden was in a road collision in Italy on Wednesday. As noted in the report, Hayden was on a bicycle on the Rimini coastline when a vehicle collided with him, causing him to suffer head and chest injuries.

As noted by BBC Sport, Hayden was said to have suffered "serious cerebral damage" as a result of the collision.

According to Tom Lutz of the Guardian, the driver involved in the crash was breathalysed, but was not over the limit. Local authorities are carrying out an investigation.

Tributes poured in for Hayden following the news, with current MotoGP riders Aleix Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa and former World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson paying their respects:

The Kentucky-born racer enjoyed his finest moment in 2006, when he ended Valentino Rossi’s run of five consecutive world titles in MotoGP.

Riding for Repsol Honda, Hayden clinched the championship in dramatic style, taking advantage of a crash from Rossi, who had an eight-point lead heading into the final race on the final day of the season. Here are the highlights from that memorable day in Valencia:

As noted by Critchley, when news of Hayden’s crash broke, Rossi said he was "one of the best friends I've ever had in the paddock."

In his MotoGP career, Hayden won three times and took his place on the podium on 28 occasions.

Having taken part in the Superbike World Championship in 2002, Hayden returned to the competition in 2016 with Honda and grabbed a victory in Malaysia during that season. His last race was in Italy on May 14, when he finished in 12th position.