Trek team cyclists train ahead of Sunday's 115th edition of the Paris-Roubaix cycling classic, in Haveluy, northern France, Thursday, April 6, 2017. The Paris-Roubaix cycling classic is a 257.5 kilometer (160 mile) one day cycle race, with about 20 per cent of the distance run on cobblestones. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)Michel Spingler/Associated Press

Cyclist Michael Goolaerts Dies at Age 23 from Cardiac Arrest

Gianni VerschuerenApr 8, 2018

Michael Goolaerts, a 23-year-old Belgian cyclist, died after suffering a cardiac arrest during Sunday's Paris-Roubaix race.

His team, Veranda's Willems-Crelan Pro Cycling, confirmed the news:

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Goolaerts crashed on one of the first cobbled sections of the day and didn't move. Per the Guardian, he received CPR treatment on the side of the road before he was transported to a hospital in Lille.

The race continued and was won by three-time world champion Peter Sagan, who was among the many praying for his recovery:

Fabian Cancellara, a three-time winner of Paris-Roubaix, took to Twitter to express his condolences:

Goolaerts started his career as a track racer and developed as a time-trialist. He turned professional in 2017 and won a stage in the Tour du Loir-et-Cher in 2016 as a stagiaire for Lotto-Soudal, per Pro Cycling Stats.