Cycling: Niels De Vriendt died this Saturday in a Belgian training race. According to initial reports, the young driver suffered a heart attack.
Niels De Vriendt was only 20 years old
The resumption of racing in Belgium could not have been more terrible. After no more competitions have been held since March, around 150 drivers met this Saturday for a training race in East Flanders. After only 13 kilometers driven, Niels De Vriendt fell in Wortgem-Petegem for no apparent reason. The doctors on site immediately carried out resuscitation measures. Without success. According to initial media reports, the 20-year-old suffered a heart attack.
Tim Merlier & Sep Vanmarcke were also at the start
After the terrible accident, the training race was of course stopped. The event, which was supposed to herald the happy start of the road bike season, was organized by the mother of the Belgian champion Tim Merlier. He himself took part in the race as well as among others Sep Vanmarcke. Tomorrow the first Belgian professional race since March will take place in Rotselaar.
Cycling Vlanderen, @BELCycling, het gemeentebestuur van Wortegem-Petegem en de organiserende club wensen alle sterkte aan de familie, vrienden en ploeg (VDM Trawobo Cycling Team) van Niels de Vriendt, alsoook aan de organizeren van de wedstrijd in Wortegem-Petegem 🙏❤ pic.twitter.com/zzZMHaumCu
- Cycling Vlaanderen (@CyclingVL) July 4, 2020