CYCLING champion Lais Saes has died aged 42 after being struck down in a horror hit-and-run while training on her bike in Brazil.

The Brazilian cyclist had been riding on a dirt road in the mountains on Thursday (May 30) when a utility vehicle going downhill struck her.

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The driver allegedly fled without stopping to provide help and police are still working to identify the perpetrator.

The accident happened in the Serra da Canastra in Delfinópolis, Brazil, which was one of Saes’s favourite training spots due to the mountainous terrain.

Saes, 42, was a well-known figure in Brazilian cycling.

She was the 2021 São Paulo state road cycling champion in the Elite category, according to local media.

She represented the Indaiatuba Cycling Team, where she had been living for some years.

Her winning time was reportedly 68 km (42 mi) in one hour, 59 minutes, and three seconds.

She won the Road Brasil Ride event twice, in 2021 and 2022, and the Festival Brasil Ride event in 2017, according to reports.

And she was the fastest woman in the 2022 L’Étape du Tour de France between Briançon and Alpe d’Huez.

The annual event allows amateur cyclists to ride one of the mountain stages of the Tour de France.

Saes was reportedly the first woman to cycle up São Paulo’s Jaraguá Peak, which stands at 1,135 m (3,724 ft) above sea level.

To reach the highest point, cyclists face a 47 km (29 mi) route, with the last four km (2 mi) being a steep climb.

She was also a business manager, according to local media.

She was affiliated with the cycling clothing and apparel brand Arrival Sports.

Saes had more than 35,000 followers on Instagram, where she shared her gruelling training regime.

Her mother Walkiria Mendes wrote: “She was a determined and strong woman who loved her bike races and training.

“She left us doing what she loved most, but sadly, she was hit by a car on a dirt road.

“Life is like that, a time to arrive, a time to leave, and those who stay behind are the ones who suffer.

“Rest in peace, my dear Lala.”

Saes’s funeral was held in her hometown of Jundiaí on Saturday (1 Jun).

Her body was then taken to Itatiba for cremation.