The cycling world was stunned Wednesday to learn that professional cyclist Davide Rebellin had died earlier in the day at the age of 51 after being hit by a truck while training near Vicenza.

Tributes to the accomplished Italian quickly flooded social media channels, from individual riders and competitors to events and teams.

Rebellin had announced at the beginning of 2022 that this would be his last season as a road professional. This year, he said he would dive into the off-road world at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships in October and intends to pursue gravel competitions in the future.

During his time on the road, Rebellin won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Flèche Wallonne, Amstel Gold Race, Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice, Classica San Sebastian, and Zoury-Metzgethe. In 1996, his fourth year as a professional, he wore Maria Rosa for five days at the Giro d'Italia, finishing sixth overall.

His last road race was the Veneto Classic just six weeks ago, and his most recent UCI Continental family, the Work Service Cycling Team, posted a message bidding farewell to his 30-year road racing career. On Wednesday, team representatives sent a personal message to Cycling News regarding their sadness at such a tragic loss.

"At this very tragic moment, our thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones, and on behalf of the entire team, I would like to express our condolences and deepest sympathy," commented Demetrio Iommi, president of the Work Service cycling team.

"There are no words to express this news and we are all devastated. David was not only our athlete, he was a true reference for the youth of the team, the entire staff, and Dynatech. His care, experience and style were appreciated by all who had the honor and pleasure of working with him. He left an indelible mark on all of us and we still cannot accept such a grave loss," commented owner Massimo Revolato.

"During his 30 years as a professional, Davide was able to overcome all difficulties. Last year, after his crash at the Pantani Memorial, he was seriously injured and although it took months for his body to fully recover, he did everything he could to get back on the bike with composure and tenacity, as he was anxious to say goodbye to everyone and close his career. This year he returned to the peloton, and there was a big party in his honor at the Veneto Classic last month. It is truly unique and a great sadness when I think about it now," concluded Us F. Coppi Gazzera Videa President Renato Marin.

The work service team was one of many riders in the peloton who recalled the big smiles and enthusiasm that characterized the Italian riders.

Upon hearing of his tragic passing, words and photos of tributes to this Italian rider circulated on Twitter and Instagram around the world.

Some of the messages from competitors did not require words to mourn Rebellin's passing.