South African mountain biker Burry Stander has died in a road accident while on a training ride.

The 25-year-old, who finished fifth at the London Olympics in 2012, was killed in a collision with a taxi in Shelly Beach, a town in the KwaZulu-Natal province on South Africa’s east coast.

Stander was a two-time Olympian, having also competed in Beijing in 2008.

He was also a former Under-19 and Under-23 world champion and finished third in the 2010 World Championships.

Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius tweeted:  “Absolutely devastated by the tragic news of Burry Stander’s passing. A South African icon and sporting great. RIP my friend.”

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) president Gideon Sam added in a statement:  “Burry was the epitome of an Olympic athlete; talented, ultra-competitive but at the same time extremely humble and a true gentleman.”

Britain’s Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, fellow Team GB rider Mark Cavendish and British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton have also recently been involved in collisions with cars.