PROSPECT parents David and Pennie Robinson yesterday spoke of the son they have lost who had lived for cycling and his family.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
State representative Will Robinson, 21, was killed after a collision with a bus while on a training ride near Cradle Mountain on Saturday.
Both his family and members of the cycling fraternity paid tribute to him yesterday.
His parents and the close-knit family that includes brothers Tom, 20, Edward, 18, and James, 12, spoke through tears of a son and brother they idolised.
His parents told how winning the prestigious Burnie Wheel on New Year's Day this year was the proudest moment of Will's cycling career.
"We are so close and so supportive of each other - and the main part of our family has been torn away from us," Mr Robinson said.
"We have to keep Will's memory alive and remember him the way he was - and the champion he was."
The eldest of their four boys, Will, was dedicated to his sport and was considered an inspiration to his younger brothers.
"He loved his sport and nothing else mattered - apart from his family," his dad said.
The parents described Will as a kind, generous and loving son.
"He had a beautiful heart and would never say anything bad about anyone," Mrs Robinson said.
Normally the couple would have been out on the road following their cycling sons.
But on Saturday when the accident happened- with Tom riding in Hobart as part of the Genesys Team and Edward at a concert in Melbourne - they were home.
It was only when two policemen knocked on their door that they received the tragic news.
"I feel so sorry for the bus driver who was driving because it's not his fault," Mr Robinson said.
"I work in the transport industry as a truck driver and I know exactly how it would feel - and I feel for him."
The parents told how the Burnie Wheel was the proudest moment of Will's cycling career.
"He was so thrilled to win that day and he was just starting to get back to his best," Mrs Robinson said.
"His coach Jamie Perry and he were a great team and best mates.
"They had big plans."
The accident won't deter brothers Tom and James from riding in the sport that the family loves, and which Mr Robinson described as "competitive and addictive".
"Will was very supportive of his brothers especially with James, who is just starting out in the sport at the same age as Will," Mrs Robinson said.
James listed his big brothers among his heroes in a cycling profile on the Lawson Homes website.
Will and Tom were inseparable growing up.
"He was just with me every day on the bike," Tom said.
