Goolaerts had heart attack before falling, autopsy shows

Michael Goolaerts had a heart attack before falling on Sunday at the Paris-Roubaix race, according to the autopsy carried out on Wednesday on the 23-year-old cyclist, VTM Nieuws announced.

The reason for the heart attack was still unknown. Toxicological tests will be conducted to ascertain its cause, but that could take months.

On Wednesday, Goolaerts’ team, Veranda’s Willems-Crelan, was at the start of the annual Brabantse Pijl (Brabant Arrow) race, where a minute’s silence was observed. Everyone around the departed rider’s team wore a black band marked ‘Michael Goolaerts 24/07/1994 – 08/04/2018 #ALL4GOOLIE’.

The Belgian cyclist was found unconscious close to Viesly, on the second of the 29 cobbled sections of the 257-kilometre “Queen of the Classics” race. He was airlifted to Lille, where he died in the evening.


The author: Michel THEYS

Michel Theys, a Belgian native, began his career as a civil servant, serving the public for several decades. After retirement, he shifted gears to follow his passion for journalism. With a background in public administration, Theys brought a unique perspective to his reporting. His insightful articles, covering a wide array of topics, swiftly gained recognition. Today, Michel Theys is a respected journalist known for his balanced and thoughtful reporting in the Belgian media landscape.

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