Former Tour de France star Lieuwe Westra has died after being found unresponsive at his businesses premises in Holland.
Efforts to save the Dutch former professional cyclist using CPR proved ineffective in resuscitating him. During his eight-year professional cycling career, Westra competed in the Tour de France five times - finishing the gruelling three-week race on three occasions.
The Dutch star had 13 race wins during his short professional career, which included the prestigious Paris-Nice stage race in 2012. Westra also played a key part in the Astana team during the 2014 Tour de France in helping team-mate Vincenzo Nibali to overall victory.
His biographer and friend Thomas Sijtsma announced his death tweeting: "Lieuwe Westra (40) passed away on Saturday afternoon. The former cyclist fought with himself in recent years and lost. Rest in peace, Beast."
Sijtsma had stressed that there was "no suggestion of suicide" at this stage.
Nicknamed the Beast, Westra raced for Vacansoleil and Astana before retiring from the sport abruptly in 2017 at the age of 34, despite having a deal agreed for that year with Wanty-Gobert. After retiring, the Dutch star ran a cycling hotel in Spain but admitted that he suffered from depression following the end of his career.
Johnny Hoogerland was one of his former team-mates which paid their own tribute. He said: "Lieuwe my friend. What happened all to you the last years. We are so terrible sad that your life ended already today.
"I'm very sorry that we could not help you more. Will never forget what you did for me when we were teammates. Find your rest above us."
Another former team-mate Enrico Gasparotto added: "Rest in peace Lieuwe. One of the most loyal teammates, a man with a big heart!!"
Cycling journalist Andy McGrath added that Westra gave inspiration to others. He added: "RIP Lieuwe Westra. What a tragedy. He was a 90kg techno raver and road painter in his early twenties till he started riding again and entered the World Tour at the age of 26, and beat the best at Paris-Nice. He showed that nothing is impossible."
Westra got his nickname the Beast due to his attacking riding style and was an allrounder who was strong over different terrain.
