British cyclist dies after collapsing during race as two others hospitalised

The tragedy unfolded the day before the Tour of Flanders

A British cyclist has died after collapsing during an amateur race in Belgium.

The 51-year-old was competing in the mass-participation Tour of Flanders sportive, We Ride Flanders, which takes place on the day before the elite men’s and women’s races, when he collapsed before the Hotond climb near Ronse. According to reports from Belgium, the rider, who is believed to have been participating in the amateur race alongside his son, likely suffered a heart attack and tragically died at the scene.

Event organiser Gert van Goolen told Belgian radio that medics had rushed to where the rider had collapsed and attempted to save his life, but he sadly passed away.

“We received a report that a man had fallen,” he said in a statement to Radio 1.

“A medical team was quickly on the scene and was able to resuscitate him. Unfortunately, the man died at the scene.

“This is the last thing you want as an organization,” van Goolen added.

“You hope that 14,000 people can have a nice day here and you know there are risks, but you really don’t want this.”

The event has routes of different distances, the longest being a 247km route starting in Antwerp and ending in Oudenaarde.

Other ride distances – 79 km, 133 km and 163 km – started and finished in Oudenaarde, although it is unclear which route the rider had attempted, as all four include the Hotond, the highest hill in the region.

According to reports, two other competitors also needed resuscitating during the race following separate incidents during Saturday’s event.

One involved a 57-year-old Dutch man, while the other saw a second British rider rescued on the Oude Kwaremont, a 1,500m cobbled climb which forms a famous section of the Tour of Flanders.

Both riders were taken to hospital.

Two We Ride Flanders participants also died during last year’s event, including Stéphane Krafft, a former professional rider with the Cofidis team.

The amateur event sees cycling fans ride the course a day before the professional riders, allowing them to “suffer on the legendary hills, shudder over the famous cobbles and enjoy an unparalleled atmosphere along the routes” as the pros.

Around 14,000 cyclists take part in the event annually.