Rohan Dennis has pleaded guilty to an aggravated charge of causing likelihood of harm, following the incident last December in which his wife Melissa Hoskins died.
The 34-year-old had originally been facing charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care, but these were dropped after Dennis pleaded guilty to the downgraded charge.
According to an ABC News report, Dennis's defence attorney Jane Abbey told the court in Adelaide: "There was no intention of Mr Dennis to harm his wife — and this charge does not charge him with responsibility for her death."
The former Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma rider, who retired at the end of 2023, now faces up to seven years in prison, as opposed to the 15 he had originally been looking at. Sentencing will be carried out in the District Court.
The incident took place outside the house in Adelaide where the couple lived with their two children. Hoskins, 32, – who had represented Australia in the Olympic team pursuit in London 2012 and Rio 2016 – was struck by a car, and died that night in hospital.
With the incident captured on a neighbour's security camera Dennis, who was alleged to have been driving, was charged with the 'dangerous driving' and 'due care' offences, though was bailed and attended Hoskins's funeral with his children.
He appeared in court in Adelaide in March, where prosecutors asked for time to put together a reconstruction and bail was extended for a further seven months.
August saw him back in court, where he was officially charged.
Hoskins's career saw her ride to fourth and fifth places in the team pursuit at London and Rio respectively, two Games which saw the jump from 3,000m to 4,000m for the women's event.
She also spent four seasons (2012-2015) riding on the road with Orica-AIS, winning the Tour of Chongming Island in 2012, the mountains competition in the Women's Tour in the UK in 2015, and riding the Giro Donne too.
The cycling world reacted with horror and grief at her passing, with the current iteration of the Orica team – Jayco-AlUla – saying: "Our thoughts are with her family and friends and the whole cycling community at this deeply saddening time. She will never be forgotten", while her friend and Rio TP team-mate Amy Cure said: "You will be forever missed my sister".
