"A great cyclist is no longer" - Michael Boogerd reflects on old rival Davide Rebellin

For many years Michael Boogerd and Davide Rebellin would battle it out in the hilly classics with Rebellin often getting the better of the dual. After his untimely passing earlier this week, Boogerd is understandably taken aback.

"This puts everything in perspective," Boogerd tells WielerFlits. "you can't make this up... A great cyclist is no longer." Speaking of their battles back in the day, Boogerd has fond memories, "Davide was always my fear giver. Especially in 2004, when he beat me man-to-man twice in one week in both the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège." He reminisces. "He always rode my wheel because he knew he could beat me in the sprint. I always rode very offensively and Rebellin was one of the few who could always follow me."

Despite Boogerd more often than not being on the wrong side of the result whenever Rebellin was around, the 50-year-old Dutchman did occasionally triumph over his Italian rival. "Tirreno-Adriatico 2001. There I was able to beat him in the sprint one of the few times." Boogerd says. "A few days earlier, Rebellin beat me in Celano in a direct sprint, but on the Wall of Ortezzanowa it was up to me. Rebellin pulled through and I went over him. With an entire army of Italians in my wheel. That was a special win for me. That was mainly because I managed to beat Rebellin.”

With Rebellin's sad death coming after a road traffic collision, Boogerd believes more could still be done to increase the safety of cyclists on public roads. "There is always a lot of discussion about that. It seems increasingly dangerous to cycle on public roads." He says. "Now it shows again. This is really awful.”