De Fauw, 28, nicknamed Tarzan for his habit of stripping off his top, came to prominence when he lost the Belgian championship in Tessenderlo in 2001 by a split second to Tom Boonen. He went on to pick up several titles, as well as the reputation for being the team clown, which did not always win him favour.

In 2006, he was involved in an accident during the Six-Day Race in his native Ghent with Spanish rider Isaac Galvez in which Galvez sustained fatal injuries. According to those close to him, De Fauw never recovered from the incident, although it was determined he was not to blame.

The following year, it was revealed that he had given statements to the authorities regarding widespread doping within his Quick Step team. The allegations later turned out to be largely fabricated, and De Fauw’s reputation was ruined. His speed remained intact, but he increasingly failed to qualify for national selections, according to him for reasons other than sporting. Last year he sustained a serious back injury in a fall.

Lately, things seemed to be looking up for the cyclist, with a seventh place in the Six-Days of Grenoble in France and an eye on the Ghent Six-Days. He returned from Grenoble on 4 November with fellow cyclist Iljo Keisse, promising to phone him soon for a training session. “I’ll never get that call. I have lost a friend,” said Keisse.