Italian cycling champion Davide Rebellin dies after being hit by a truck

Former Italian cycling champion Davide Rebellin is no more. The one-time Olympic silver medallist died during a training session after a truck hit him near his home in the Venice region, as per local media reports. The 51-year-old is regarded as one of the finest classics racers of his generation. He has won seven of cycling's major one-day races.

"This is an infinitely sad day for all those in cycling," Tour de France chief Christian Prudhomme said.

The Italian media reported his death on Wednesday. Reports said that he died on the spot at a roundabout following a collision with a truck that left the scene without stopping.

His family remembered him as someone "who lived to ride his bike".

In 2004, he was the first rider to grab the Ardennes Classics treble of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Fleche Wallone and Amstel Gold. He also won the Fleche in 2007 and 2009 as well as classics in San Sebastian and Zurich, both in 1997. Stage race triumphs came in 2001 and 2007 as he won the prestigious Tirreno-Adriatico and the Paris-Nice.

He took part in 19 Grand Tours including 12 Giro d'Italia, where he won his sole major tour stage and wore the overall leader's pink jersey for six days in 1996.

But a positive test for the blood-booster EPO Cera sent things downhill for Rebellin. He was stripped of his Olympic road race silver medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Games.

"This is a victory for clean cycling," Rebellin had said while denying the offence.

Lotto-Soudal general manager John Lelangue also expressed grief at his sudden demise.

"I just can't believe it. He was with us Sunday night at the Monte Carlo Criterium dinner," he said.

FDJ chief Marc Madiot, who managed him in the late 90s, said, "He was a really nice guy. Polite, reserved, never a word out of place, he lived like a monk or a choirboy."

"Once, after a training camp, we had a bit of a party that got out of hand, but he didn't even have a single drink."

(With inputs from agencies)

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