Cyclist shouted 'my brakes have gone' before fatal crash

'She was freewheeling, she couldn’t stop' says friend

August Atkinson was only a month away from graduating as a veterinary when she was killed in 2014 (Facebook)

A university student who died when her bike slammed into a dry stone wall shouted "my brakes have gone" in the moments before the crash, an inquest heard.

August Atkinson, 22, was only a month away from graduating as a vet when she was killed in 2014.

The crash happened on a 25-mile route involving Winnats Pass — a steep and winding track in Derbyshire.

Ms Atkinson's mother said she was concerned the brakes on her daughter's Genesis Equilibrium bike, which was purportedly less than a year old, failed at a crucial moment.

But forensic examiners said her brakes were not faulty, finding only that her rear tyre was slightly deflated.

The 22-year-old’s friend Kieran Patel, who was with her on the cycling trip, told Chesterfield coroners’ court he used his brakes frequently while descending at about 20mph.

Ms Atkinson came hurtling past him "getting faster" and travelling between 30 and 40mph, he said.

“She said ‘my brakes have gone,'" Mr Patel said, according to The Sheffield Star.

“She was freewheeling, she couldn’t stop.”

Coroner Peter Nieto said a number of factors could have contributed to the 22-year-old's death. The inquest will conclude at a later date.