The race was halted immediately after the fatal accident. The exact circumstances are still unclear. It is thought to be heart failure, but it is not certain whether that is the cause or the result of the fall. The practice match in Wortegem, an organization of the mother of Belgian professional champion Tim Merlier, was startled in the first round by a crash. Niels de Vriendt ended up in the ditch next to the road. It is not clear whether he fell due to cardiac arrest or heart failure after the fall.“I was not the first to be there, but I was in the neighbourhood,” says ex-prof Paul Van Hyfte, VDM-Trawobo team manager van de Vriendt. “Before a medical emergency team arrived, Niels was resuscitated and regained consciousness. But he lost that again. He recovered on a second CPR attempt, but the rescuers lost him again. The third attempt to get his heart going again was unsuccessful. ”National champion and home rider Tim Merlier reacted excitedly after the fall, Sep Vanmarcke also clearly had a difficult time. “When someone fights for his life, racing is not the top priority,” said Vanmarcke. For a long time, there was uncertainty about the fate of the young De Vriendt, the mayor of Wortegem Luc Van der Meeren finally confirmed the bad news to the media. (Translated from HLN and Nieuwsblad snippets today)
On behalf of the Belgian Project and the Irish cycling community, we offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and team of Niels…May he Rest in Peace
In behalf of de Belgian Project en de Ierse wieler wereld , wij bieden onze oprechte deelneming aan de familie, vrienden en wielerploeg van Niels…Mag hij rusten in Vrede
