A driver who struck and killed a Dutch cyclist on her way to work could spend the rest of his life behind bars, the judge who will sentence him has warned.

Gitta Scheenhouwer, 27, was living her dream of becoming an architect in Melbourne, travelling with her boyfriend and excitedly awaiting a visit by her little sister.

Gitta Scheenhouwer was living the dream in Melbourne.

But the life of the young adventurer, who was described as having limitless ambitions and endless positivity, was cut short when the now-28-year-old Michael Panayides slammed into her bike on a sunny Sunday morning in Chapel Street last August.

She died at the scene and Panayides, who had been speeding at twice the limit on his way to buy drugs, ran away, declaring "I'm going to have to live with this".