Belgian cyclist Demoitie dies in race motorbike smash

LILLE, France – Belgian cyclist Antoine Demoitie has died after he was struck by a motorbike following a fall during the Gent-Wevelgem race in Belgium on Sunday, March 27, police said. 

The 25-year-old, a member of Belgium’s second-division team Wanty-Gobert, fell around 150 kilometers (90 miles) into the race in Sainte-Marie-Cappel, northern France.

He was then hit by a motorbike while on the ground, before being transported to a hospital in Lille where he succumbed to his injuries.

“The rider died. An inquiry is under way to determine the circumstances,” said Frederic Evrard, spokesman for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional gendarmerie in France.

The cyclist’s team earlier said Demoitie was in a “serious condition” in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“His wife and his family are at his side,” the team wrote on Twitter.

The Gent-Wevelgem cobbled classic lived up to its grueling reputation on Sunday, with riders battling strong winds as they tackled 10 climbs over a 243 kilometer route.

Former Belgian national champion Jens Debusschere was also hospitalized after he sustained a concussion following a heavy crash, his Lotto-Soudal team said.

The race, which includes two ascents of the hills of Kemmelberg, was won by Slovakia’s Peter Sagan.

A number of accidents have struck the sport this year, including the death of young hope Romain Guyot. 

The 23-year-old Frenchman died in March when he was hit by a truck at a crossroads in the west of the country. 

In January, 6 racers from the Giant-Alpecin team, including German John Degenkolb and French Warren Barguil, were injured in a collision with a car during a training ride south of Valencia.

In 2011, Demoitie‘s compatriot Wouter Weylandt died from injuries suffered in a crash during the third stage of the Giro d’Italia. – Rappler.com