Mika Ahola Passes Away Two Weeks After Retirement

Just
weeks after retiring, former World Enduro champion Mika Ahola
has passed away.
Ahola opened the New Year with surprise announcement that he was
retiring from the sport at the age of 37. The rider won five
consecutive World Enduro Championships from 2007 through 2011 in
three different classes. Ahola was also part of Team Finland when
they competed in the International Six Days Enduro, winning seven
team titles and three individual championships at the prestigious
event.
The rider's death is being connected to an injury he suffered while
training in December. The injury was of an internal nature, and
Ahola required surgery to have it corrected. However, the rider
died just hours after having the surgery in Barcelona, Spain.
It now seems likely that Ahola's retirement is connected to the
injury he suffered while training, although it hasn't been revealed
exactly what the issue was.
"I gave it my all, and even though the sport took a lot, it also
rewarded me with more than I could have ever imagined when I first
started," Ahola told Cycle News at the time of his retirement. "I
have fulfilled my ambitions and I feel that it is time to move on
and see what else the world has to offer."