Lieuwe Westra, a former professional cyclist, passed away at age 40, know his cause of death
Death came to the Dutchman on Saturday afternoon, his biographer Thomas Sijtsma said.
Cyclist Lieuwe Westra cause of death, obituary, age, family, career stats and wins
Apparently, Westra was discovered unresponsive at his workplace in Zwaagdijk, the Netherlands, and despite CPR efforts, he did not regain consciousness. There was “no suggestion of suicide,” as Sijtsma explained subsequently but a cause of death isn’t known yet.
Known as “The Beast” during his career, the Dutchman raced with Vacansoleil and Astana for eight years before finally retiring in January 2017.
Lieuwe Westra had planned to continue racing with Wanty-Gobert that year, but at the age of 34, he declared his retirement. A cycling hotel owner in Spain, he later said that he had struggled with depression after his career was cut short.
On Sunday, SIjtsma tweeted, “The former cyclist fought with himself in recent years and lost. Rest in peace, beast.”
Lieuwe Westra, who did not begin his professional career until he was 26 years old, won multiple significant races during his career, the most notable of which was the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné, which he won by crossing the finish line first at Finaut-Emosson.
Lieuwe Westra had his own setbacks
Even though Westra had lost a two-man breakaway sprint the day before in Poisy, he made the break again on the mountain stage, spectacularly catching and passing Katusha riders Yuri Trofimov and Egor Silin in the final 200 metres of the final climb.
He also has two more WorldTour victories on his record: stage 5 of the 2012 Paris-Nice and a solo victory in Montjuic Park on the last stage of the 2014 Volta a Catalunya.
During Vincenzo Nibali’s spectacular ride in the yellow jersey on stage 5 over the wet cobbles of Paris-Roubaix in 2014, Lieuwe Westra played a significant role on the Astana team and won the combativity trophy.
During his stint as a professional cyclist, Westra became well-known for his aggressive, combative riding style, which made him successful on both the flats and in time trials. Aside from his most notable successes, he also won the 2016 Driedaagse De Panne, the 2012 Post Danmark Rundt, the 2013 Tour of California’s opening stage, and the 2012 and 2013 national time trial crowns.
Westra admitted in his autobiography The Beast, published in 2018, that Lieuwe Westra had lied about being hurt to get therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for cortisone while at Astana. During the 2016 Driedaagse De Panne, he also used tramadol and caffeine, he said.
Many of Westra’s former teammates and fellow riders have taken to social media in the wake of his passing to pay respect to him.
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