Cycle News

"That was Nicky. He was just a different kind of competitor and athlete." – Hayden Gillim Two memories always come to mind when I think about Nicky. The first one goes way back to when I was just a kid - probably 10, 11, maybe 12 years old. We were all riding at the Haydens' house on their track. Everybody was out there. Just a big group of us riding laps. At one point I remember stuffing Nicky so hard going into a corner that, at least in my memory, it felt like a massive move. He ended up running off the track and got pretty close to the volleyball court area they had there. As a kid, that moment stuck with me forever. In my mind I was like, "Oh, yeah, I got him. I gave it to Nicky Hayden." Whether it was really that dramatic or not, that's how it felt to me at the time. The second memory is completely different but just as funny. We were out on a road-bike ride - me, Danny, Roger, Jake, and Nicky. We're all cruising along, working pretty hard, and I'm sitting toward the back because I'm strug- gling to hang on. All of a sudden, Nicky just pops out of the woods next to the road on a mountain bike. In my memory it's like he just appeared out of nowhere. He rolls up alongside us, pedaling along on this moun- tain bike while the rest of us are on road bikes, just chatting like it's no big deal. Next thing you know, he rides right up to the front of the group. I'm still in the back, breathing hard just trying to keep up, and he's up there talking, joking around, completely comfortable. Then, whenever he's ready, he just veers off the road and disappears back into the woods like it was nothing. That was Nicky. He was just a different kind of competitor and athlete. Growing up around him - and around Tommy and Roger too - they were the guys we all looked up to. Being around their family, their cousins, that whole group… it was pretty special. When you think about it now, what a hell of a benchmark to have growing up. "Nicky was always on time, always treated us with respect and was unfail- ingly polite." – Mat Oxley Nicky really was one of the best riders to be around from a journalist's point of view. He fully understood the role of the media - which many riders don't. He knew that we were trying to tell the story of MotoGP - and his story - while also being fully aware that some of us were only there to chase shock/horror headlines. He didn't mind that either, because he realized that that is how the world works. In fact, he would laugh about it, which showed a world - liness that's beyond most riders, who rarely see beyond their own bubble. He was always interesting. He could talk to a non-motorcycle journalist and keep them entertained and informed, just as well as he could speak to a specialist journalist about the intricacies of riding technique. He was funny, self-dep - recating and very much emotionally involved. When he had had a really bad day you could see him welling up, because he invested all of himself in what he did and when things went wrong it hurt. Two memories stand out. The MotoGP race at Indy in 2008 was red-flagged because of a hurricane - torren- tial rain and advertising hoardings ripped up by the wind and blown across the circuit - hideously dangerous. Nicky was second behind Valentino Rossi when the red flags came out, which would've been his first podium of the season, at a time when Honda were struggling with their 800. I went down to his garage to get a few words and offer my congratulations. But he wasn't celebrating - he was changing his helmet and talking urgently with his crew, trying to get things right for a restart, because second place still wasn't good enough. The previous year in Turkey I was a few minutes late for an interview with him. He really wasn't happy and asked me to apologize. This would've been hard to take from most riders, who are nearly always late, but Nicky was always on time, always treated us with respect and was unfailingly polite. "Nicky was a special kind of person, and someone people genuinely loved having around." – Jeremy McWilliams When I think back to that MotoGP era and Nicky Hayden, a lot of great memories come to mind. Nicky was such a gentleman, and honestly, the whole Hayden family was the same - Earl and all the brothers. They were just genuinely good people. From the first time you met them, they made you feel welcome. I remember Earl being one of the first people to welcome me when I showed up at Indy. That was just the kind of family they were - warm, open, and happy to have you around. Nicky himself was a quiet kid, very laid back. But he always made time to be around everyone. On Sundays after the races, at the end of the day, he'd usually wander over and hang out with us. Some of us might be sitting around having a beer, and Nicky would just stand there, leaning on something, doing his own thing, but still enjoying the moment with everyone. Back then, there was a real sense of camaraderie between the GP riders. It felt different than it does today. We competed hard on track, but off the track there was this shared respect and a lot of good times together. Nicky really enjoyed that side of it too - just being around, sharing a laugh, being part of the group. So, when I think about that time, I just have great memories of him and what he achieved. Nicky was a special kind of person, and someone people genuinely loved having around. IN THE WIND

• Cover