Cyclist killed in A50 accident had lost sister in car crash, aged 19

THE family of a cyclist knocked down and killed by a lorry have paid tribute to the "perfect father, husband and son".

Dad-of-two Karl Austin, of Biddulph, died on June 30 in a collision with a lorry near Derby on the A50.

Today his wife, Linda, and his parents Keith and Joyce paid tribute to the race-winning cyclist.

His parents also lost Karl's sister, Kim, in a car accident in 1986 when she was 19.

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Dad Keith, of Semper Close, in Congleton, said: "Having lost Kim it was the last thing we could ever have imagined was to lose both children. It's almost unbelievable but it's happened."

Karl also leaves behind a 24-year-old son Simon and 20-year-old daughter Katy.

The 47-year-old of Bellringer Close, a member at Congleton Cycling Club, was taking part in a club time trial when the incident happened.

He met 45-year-old wife Linda in 1979 and the pair married in 1985.

She said: "We met when I was 13. It was my brother who introduced us because they both liked rock 'n' roll and he used to come around to our house quite a lot.

"Karl was a great listener and he had a dry sense of humour. He loved his camping and walking and was a very intelligent guy.

"He lived a very active life and enjoyed reading and going to the library. Looking back he was perfect. He was a perfect husband, father and son and he can never be replaced.

"He had raised thousands of pounds for charity by being in a tribute group in the late 1980s. He was the lead singer in tribute bands to Showaddywaddy and Jerry Lee Lewis and the town hall in Congleton was often packed to see them."

Born in Kent, Karl moved to Congleton when he was four and it was not long before he started cycling.

Keith, aged 71, said: "He joined the cycling club when he was 11 and never stopped.

"When he was 15 he cycled to Devon and back and he always took the bike on holiday.

"He's been on the cycling scene so long that people all over the country knew him and if they didn't know him personally they knew his name.

"He had recently started giving people advice on the cycling message boards so people who didn't actually know him have been saying what a great bloke he is."

Karl worked for Congleton Engineering, Siemens and Morrey's in Congleton before he set-up his own domestic cleaning company with Linda.

Hundreds of messages have flooded in on cycling website Time Trialling Forum and the family have also received hundreds of cards of sympathy.

Mum Joyce, aged 66, added: "Someone wrote he was a gentleman and a gentle man. He was a good friend as well.

"I can't believe something like this would happen to someone twice."

His daughter Katy is currently undergoing a course to become a pharmacy technician while working at the pharmacy at the Co-op in Biddulph.

She said: "Dad would always want to know my results when I got home. He was forever smiling."

Karl's cycling friends will follow the hearse between Wednesday's funeral at Bradwell crematorium and the wake. Donations in Karl's memory are being made to help disabled cycling charity Wheels for All. To donate, visit www.justgiving. com/karl-austin