Tour of the Reservoir organiser Mike Hodgson has passed away

Tour of the Reservoir organiser Mike Hodgson has passed away.

Tributes have poured in for Hodgson, who organised one of Britain's most iconic and challenging races, with VeloUK Cycling Mag reporting he died after catching coronavirus.

British Cycling President, Bob Howden OBE, said: "I have lost a close friend, and the world of cycling has lost a tremendous servant. Mike had an indomitable spirit and whilst the Tour of the Reservoir was one of the toughest races on the calendar, he was always looking to do more with the formula, in search of being bigger and better.

"As a fellow organiser I had tremendous admiration for Mike’s commitment, which was in spite of his underlying health issues, and I would often reflect as to whether I could ever achieve that level of fortitude should I be in the same position – invariably the answer would be a resounding ‘no’."

Dame Sarah Storey, who regularly took part in the Tour of the Reservoir, added: "Mike was one of our sport’s true heroes; a volunteer who ran some of our biggest races and gave his time to help as many as he could.

"Tour of the Reservoir is an incredible race and is made possible thanks to Mike’s hard work and dedication over many years. He will be sorely missed, and I’m devastated that – abiding by current restrictions – we can’t attend his funeral."

Cycling Weekly's thoughts are with Mike's family and friends at this time