Last year, champion cyclist Rohan Dennis laid out his vision for 2024 this time, while sharing his proudest moment with his children. His grand plans are now in shambles as he faces charges over the death of his Olympian wife Melissa Hoskins

A year ago he had the world at his feet, won a prestigious sports prize and had a chance to be Sports Father of the Year.

Rohan Dennis posed on stage at the Tour Down Under with his two beautiful children to collect the Tanya Denver Award for being the highest placed South Australian.

As his toddler daughter held her two toy bunnies and his then-four-year-old son held his father's victory flowers, the Olympic cyclist had a face-splitting grin.

Reposting the photo on Instagram, Dennis announced he was in the running for Australian Sports Dad of the Year and was 'looking forward' to 2024 with 'more pictures of me with the kids' and less in his 'cycling kit'.

Now those plans are in ruins, with Dennis, 33, axed from the Tour Down Under and pleading with the media not to film his children ahead of his first appearance in the Adelaide Magistrates Court after being charged in the death of his wife Melissa Moskins.

The 32-year-old female cycling pursuit champion died on December 30 when Dennis' Volkswagen Amarok ute allegedly hit her near their $2.45 million home in the affluent suburb of Medindie in Adelaide's north.

Ms Hoskins was taken to hospital but could not be saved, and South Australian police charged Dennis with dangerous driving causing death, careless driving and endangering life.

The couple were due to be the face of the Tour Down Under family ride through Adelaide's CBD on January 13.

But after Dennis – himself a Tour Down Under winner and international time trial champion – was released on bail by police until his court hearing on March 13, he was dropped from the tournament, Adelaide's premier annual cycling event.

Dennis had invited his Instagram followers to vote for him 'If you agree I'm a good dad' for the sports dad award, but along with other finalists including cricketer Usman Khawaja and footballer Craig Goodwin, he lost out to NSW rugby league player Daly Cherry-Evans.

Melissa Hoskins retired from professional cycling in 2017 to marry Dennis and have their two children, a son in late 2018 and a daughter in 2021.

The family has spent recent years moving back and forth between Australia, Spain and Andorra, where Dennis competed in various professional teams in major cycling tours across Europe.

He retired last year and the couple and their children moved into the $2.45 million home in Adelaide's north that they bought in 2019 but previously rented out.

Mrs Hoskins and Dennis appeared to be on their way to the next chapter of their lives before tragedy struck just over a week ago.

The wine-loving couple planned to have their own vineyard, with Dennis posting images and comments about his dream on Instagram.

When asked if he planned to have 'his own label', Dennis replied 'that's the goal'.

Another person posted a glass of wine emoji with the comment: “Nice, that seems like a perfect retirement.”

One image showed an idyllic vineyard in rural South Australia.

“Slowly but surely the new project is coming to life,” Dennis wrote with the photo.

Another photo showed Ms Hoskins holding a bottle of wine as she smiled at the camera.

“Someone is pretty happy with the wine selection,” the caption read.

In a third photo, the smiling couple sat with friends on the patio overlooking the beautiful landscape as the group enjoyed a cheese board.

“The future looks pretty bright,” the post read.

The pair were conspicuously absent from a Christmas party on their affluent street in the days before Mrs Hoskin's death.

Senior residents of Avenel Gardens Road had noted that they were not there for the Christmas gathering, but thought little of their absence until the sirens started blaring days later.

Ms Hoskins will be farewelled at a funeral in Perth, and at a memorial service in Adelaide to be held after TDU ends on January 21.

Mrs. Hoskins came from humble beginnings and achieved great success in her short life.

She grew up in Kalamunda, in the Perth Hills, and attended Walliston Primary School and then Carmel Adventist College.

She started competitive cycling at the age of 16, specializing in grueling endurance events.

Later, Ms. Hoskins enrolled but did not complete a bachelor's degree in sports science at Murdoch University from 2010 to 2012, and was a member of the Elite Athlete Program.

The program, an initiative of Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, helps support elite athletes during their studies.

According to the university, Ms Hoskins completed external training and completed two units: a core unit and an elective.

She also completed a unit at Curtin University in semester two of 2010.

It was during the 2012 London Olympics that Ms Hoskins, 32, and Mr Dennis, 33, became on-track lovers.

Ms Hoskins was part of Australia's bid for bronze in London, but the team of three riders were defeated by the US.

Four years later, the four-rider Australian team was expected to challenge Great Britain for gold at the Rio Olympics.

But she suffered an injury and although she completed the first two rounds, she sat out the final where the team finished in fifth place.

Ms Hoskins married Mr Dennis in February 2018 and as his career progressed they divided their time between Girona in Spain, La Massana in Andorra and Adelaide.

The travel enthusiasts had two children – a son in 2018 and a daughter in 2021 – and recently settled in their colonial mansion in Adelaide, which they bought in 2019 but rented out for a few years.