Cycling: Tour of Qatar rider dies in his sleep

[aontroim]

DOHA - A Belgian cyclist, Frederiek Nolf, competing in the Tour of Qatar has been found dead in his bedroom Thursday morning prior to stage five, one of the race chiefs, Eddy Merckx, announced.

Nolf, a member of the Topsport Vlaanderen team, was found dead by one of his teammates on the 14th floor of their hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton.

Organisers of the race, ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation), had yet to officially confirm the death of Nolf although several managers of teams competing here confirmed the news.

The Belgian rider, who turned professional last year, would have celebrated his 22nd birthday on February 10.

The teammate who found Nolf said he found him unconscious and tried, in vain, to wake him before alerting team officials and a team doctor.

According to Merckx Thursday's fifth stage - from the Camel Race Track to the Doha Foundation - will be 'neutralised' out of respect for Nolf.

'Out of respect for Frederiek Nolf, the riders will form a cortege throughout the stage,' said Merckx.

The Belgian cycling legend added: 'I spoke to his team manager (Jean-Pierre Heynderrickx) who told me there was nothing to indicate that something like this could happen. Yesterday (Wednesday) Frederiek seemed in good health.'

The last time a cyclist died in his sleep was in 2003 when Frenchman Fabrice Salanson, 23, died in similar circumstances at the Tour of Germany.

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Watched a bit of the stage on TV - all riders just cruising while the commentators paid tribute to the young rider - the sport only seems to hit the headlines with bad news.

[Tony Baloney]

Watched a bit of the stage on TV - all riders just cruising while the commentators paid tribute to the young rider - the sport only seems to hit the headlines with bad news.

Very true - I think the immediate reaction will be that he died due to something dodgy i.e. drugs related. I would assume professional cyclists are screened for the likes of SADS which claimed the life of Cormac McAnallen amongst others?

[orangeman]

Cycling and drugs nearly go hand in hand.