IN THE days leading up to his event in Canberra, navy officer Kane Vandenberg was posting social media updates about how excited he was to be riding at Stromlo Forest Park.
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What he had no way of knowing was his ride on that course would be his last.
The 46-year-old Nowra man died of head injuries following an accident on Friday, which occurred about 2.30pm as he took part in the Australian Defence Cycling Club 2013 Cycling Carnival.
It is understood the father, based at HMAS Albatross, lost control of his bike on a downhill track.
Friends and former colleagues of the chief petty officer took to social media on Saturday to remember the avid cyclist as ''an absolute gentleman'' and a ''great, easygoing bloke''.
The Fleet Air Arm Engineers and Maintainers History Facebook group described CPO Vandenberg as ''one of our finest'', while another commenter said he was a ''fantastic role model'' for his sons.
His wife Margaret also used Facebook to express how much her husband had enjoyed riding with her colleagues, saying he was proud she worked with ''an awesome bunch of people''.
''I am at a loss,'' she said.
CPO Vandenberg had been posting Facebook updates earlier in the week about his cycling runs on Mount Stromlo, which had left him with ''bruises, cuts, abrasions''.
His final post on Wednesday said despite feeling dusty, ''the grin is still there''.
CPO Vandenberg crashed during compulsory registration for an unrelated event, the weekend's World Solo 24-hour Mountain Bike Championships, which will involve about 300 riders from at least 16 countries.
Other riders who were registering did not witness the accident.
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists president Sarah O'Callaghan said the World Solo Championships would go ahead as planned.
A defence spokesperson said medical staff provided immediate first aid to CPO Vandenberg before he was transported to Canberra Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
