Jason Lowndes came to the team from Drapac. (Image credit: Pat Malach)
The world of cycling has paid tribute to Australian professional Jason Lowndes, who was tragically killed while training in Bendigo, Australia on Friday.
Lowndes celebrated his 23rd birthday just eight days before his death and was preparing to make his debut with the British JLT Condor team in 2018 after riding for the Israel Cycling Academy in 2017.
According to the Herald Sun, Lowndes was riding out to meet another rider when a 20-year-old driver struck him from behind. She stopped at the scene and was cooperating with the police.
Lowndes' cycling career began in 2015 with the Garneau-Québecor squad, and he turned professional with Drapac in 2016. Later that year he finished sixth in the U23 road race at the World Championships in Qatar, underlining his potential as a sprinter.
As Drapac merged with the WorldTour Cannondale set-up, Lowndes moved to Israel Cycling Academy for the 2017 season, themselves racing with professional status for the first time. His best results were second- and third-place finishes on stages at the Tour of Austria.
Lowndes insisted his move to JLT Condor was not a step backwards despite the drop down to Continental level. Tragically, he was denied the opportunity to fulfil his potential.
On Saturday hundreds of local riders in Bendigo rode together to remember Lowndes, with many others taking to social media to remember him. Former teammate Adam Phelan wrote a moving tribute on Medium called "Dear Lowndesy."
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Cyclingnews extends its sincere condolences to Lowndes' family and friends.
