Davide Rebellin was killed by a truck just 45 days after retiring from the sport

Davide Rebellin has passed away at the age of 51. The Italian cyclist, who officially ended his long career this year,

was killed instantly when he was hit by a truck driver while riding his bike in Montebello Vicentino on DEC 30.

Rebellin was a world champion in 1989 as a junior in the team time trial. In 1991 he was silver medallist in the world amateur road race championships. Since 1992 he’s won some 80 professional races including Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche-Wallonne, Amstel, Zurich, San Sebastian, Henninger Turm, Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Mediterranean to name but the best known.

After the Olympics, Rebelling officially became a professional road cyclist and made his professional debut at the Camaiore Grand Prix. At the 1996 Tour de Italy, Rebellin won a stage and wore a pink shirt for six days, finishing sixth overall, which made him famous. In addition, Rebellin has won the SAN Sebastian Classic, the Zurich Grand Prix and three major classical races, the Amstel Golden Race, the Arrow of Wallon and the Liege.

Dominating the 2004 season as one of the best one-day Classics riders, Rebellin won the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

However following a positive test for CERA at the 2008 Olympic Games, his silver medal in the men’s road race was revoked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and he served a two-year suspension from 2009 to 2011, dropping down to the Pro-Continental level upon his return.