One of the victims of the Burnley Tunnel crash was a Wangaratta butcher's son who became one of Australia's greatest modern road cyclists.
Damian McDonald, 34, won an Australian road championship and won a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada and represented Australia at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Cycling identity Ron Neiwand, father of the ex-champion Gary Neiwand, last night described him as "a brilliant road rider and a good boy".
"He didn't drink or smoke and he was one of the first young riders picked up by the Australian Institute of Sport."
His former teammate Phil Anderson, who won a Commonwealth gold with McDonald, said: "He was highly respected ... a lot of people will be very affected by the tragedy. It's a huge shock, a lot of people relied on him for what he brought to the sport as a coach and a cyclist. It's certainly leave a big void for many people in the sport. He's got a young family and it's very sad for them."
The three people hospitalised after the crash morning have been released.
All three suffered minor injuries.