It is always sad when people pass away. And it's truly chocking when people your own age dies.

A few minutes ago, I read that former under 23 world road race champion Dmytro Grabovskyy has died following a heart attack. He was only 31 years of age.

Grabovskyy won the under 23 men’s road race at the 2005 World Championships. He also became European champion in the time trial discipline that year.

In 2007, he signed with Quick-Step-Innergetic, and two years later he moved to the ISD-Neri team, and rode for them for two years.

However, his pro career was not as successful as his under-23 stint.

He started drinking because of boredom, and came close to killing himself on two occasions.

“After some disappointments with Quick Step I ended up on the wrong path,” he told La Gazzetta Dello Sport in 2011. “I was bored and went after training to the coast to party and to drink. I twice escaped death by alcohol poisoning. But I drank vodka and never used drugs.”

“This turbulent period is over…my life is rehabilitated. Now there’s only water in my refrigerator.”

At the 2010 Tirreno-Adriatico, he finished first in the mountains classification and it seemed like maybe he was back on track. Sadly a serious accident a few months later put an end to his season.

In 2011, he dropped down to Continental level with the ISD-Lampre squad, and he retired at the end of the year.

Lately, he has been working with Giant bicycles and has been racing in Israel in 2016.