A motorbike rider died when he hit a tree mid-race during the Victorian Off Road Motocross Championships at Dartmoor on Saturday.
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The 48-year-old Macedon man died at the scene despite efforts of fellow riders and first aid staff who performed CPR on him.
Sergeant Ryan Nelson, of Portland Highway Patrol, said the rider was halfway through the 17-kilometre course, which runs through a forest, when the accident happened about 12.30pm.
Sergeant Nelson said the rider had come around a corner and collided with a tree which was alongside the track.
"Unfortunately it's a fatality," he said.
"Very awful."
He said the event was called off and fellow competitors stopped to help the injured rider but he died later at the scene.
More than 130 riders from across the Victoria and from interstate were at the two-day event.
"There were a lot of riders on the track at the same time," Sergeant Nelson said.
However, he said no other riders were involved in the accident.
Sergeant Nelson said he was speaking to witnesses and a report was being prepared for the Coroner.
He said an ambulance was called to the track about the same time to tend to another rider who was also injured in a separate incident.
A South Australian ambulance spokeswoman said the rider was taken to Mount Gambier hospital with suspected neck injuries.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullens said it was called to Dartmoor-Hamilton Road and Pennies Road about 12.29pm. The air ambulance was paged, but was called off.
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