Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht died after a lacerated liver led to internal bleeding and a cardiac arrest following his crash at the Tour de Pologne.
The 22-year-old died in hospital on Monday after crashing 60 miles into stage three of the event in Poland.
In a statement, his Lotto-Soudal team doctor Maarten Meirhaeghe said: “Bjorg died from a big liver laceration which caused a massive internal haemorrhage.
“As a consequence, Bjorg suffered a cardiac arrest.”
He added: “Bjorg had the biggest stroke of bad luck that was possible by the way he crashed. With such internal hemorrhages, a miracle is needed, a miracle which he wasn’t given.
“The place and the time did not influence the consequences. Even if such trauma would have happened inside a hospital, chances of a bad outcome are real.”
Race director Czeslaw Lang said on Monday that Lambrecht died during an operation in hospital.
Tuesday’s fourth stage of the race saw a moment of silence held at the start and finish of the stage, while Lambrecht’s Lotto Soudal team led the peloton to the finish in Kocriez as a mark of respect.
Lambrecht was riding in his second season at the top level of professional cycling and had been regarded as one of Belgium’s most promising riders.
He won the under-23s’ version of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in 2017 and finished second in the U23 World Championships last year.
Source: Read Full Article