Investigation launched after bike owner dies throughout ‘Hell of the North’ race

PARIS — French judicial officers launched an investigation Monday into the loss of life of Belgian rider Michael Goolaerts throughout the Paris-Roubaix biking race.

Goolaerts died Sunday after collapsing throughout the one-day basic on cobblestones in northern France.

Cambrai prosecutor Remi Schwartz informed The Related Press that an post-mortem might be carried out on Goolaerts’ physique within the coming days to find out the precise explanation for loss of life.

The 23-year-old Belgian died at a hospital in Lille, the place he had been taken by helicopter from the race. Organizers mentioned in a medical assertion that he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest.

Goolaerts had been airlifted to the hospital after collapsing about 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the end within the second of the 29 cobblestone sectors of the race often known as “The Hell of the North.”

No photographs of the incident had been out there however TV footage of the race confirmed Goolaerts mendacity unresponsive on the facet of the highway because the peloton handed him. He was then attended to by a medical workforce and appeared to obtain CPR.

In keeping with Schwartz, early investigation outcomes point out that Goolaerts may need fallen off his bike due to a cardiac episode, and that it was not the crash that led to his loss of life.

“However at this stage we don’t have any absolute certainty,” he mentioned. “There isn’t a apparent clarification, nor an apparent traumatism because the trigger (of his loss of life).”

Goolaerts was in his fourth yr with the Veranda’s Willems-Crelan workforce. He rode in help of cyclo-cross world champion Wout van Aert of Belgium at Paris-Roubaix. His most important end result this season was 20th at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Goolaerts’ loss of life got here two years after Belgian bike owner Daan Myngheer died following a coronary heart assault throughout the Criterium Worldwide race in Corsica. One other Belgian bike owner, Antoine Demoitie, died the identical yr following a crash within the Gent-Wevelgem race.