Frank Vandenbroucke

redddraggon
redddraggon Posts: 10,862
edited October 2009 in Pro race
Don't know whether it's true:

http://twitter.com/CQranking/status/4817104798

Very shocking news: Frank Vandenbroucke has died during his holiday in Senegal
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  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    It's on L'Equipe too, no story yet though

    http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/
    I like bikes...

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  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    Streuth! Saw him looking fit and well in Mendrisio a couple of weeks ago. Sad news.
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • Arkibal
    Arkibal Posts: 850
    It's true.
    Very, very sad.
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    Yup looks very true sadly.

    http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen_media_telecom/Wielrenner_Frank_Vandenbroucke_overleden.8244257-435.art
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    Seems to suggest he was found dead in his hotel room in Senegal, with a pulmonary embollism.
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    redddraggon wrote:
    Don't know whether it's true:

    http://twitter.com/CQranking/status/4817104798

    Very shocking news: Frank Vandenbroucke has died during his holiday in Senegal

    pulmonary embolism apparently acording to this site.........sad news


    http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen ... 57-435.art


    Cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke is Monday at the age of 34 deceased. This report Teveoost and RTBF. The rider was found dead in a hotel in Senegal, where he was on vacation. He would have succumbed to the effects of a pulmonary embolism.

    Vandenbroucke (born November 6, 1974) was one of the greatest talents of Belgian cycling. He was Belgian champion in the novices (1991) and junior (1992). In 1995 he won Paris-Brussels, in 1996 the Tour of Austria and the Scheldeprijs, in the 1997 Tour of Luxembourg, in 1998 Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Nice, the Tour in 1999 The People, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and two stages in the Tour of Spain. Afterwards it was his
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    It's true apparently, a pulmonary embolism. Very sad news.

    He's been through the mill in his career. But he was a very stylish rider, his smooth pedalling and effortless attacking was a joy to watch at the time. The way he kept the chasers away in the 1995 Paris Bruxelles was amazing, a sign of his young talent.

    This talent attracted others, like shady doctors and the manic Belgian media in their quest for the next Merckx. The stupid excuses he used when caught will long be remembered. Things went wrong later on in his career as his doping caught up with him and life in the full glare of the Belgian media proved too much at times.

    But he seemed to be on the mend and was talking about working with Aldo Sassi in order to give himself another chance to let his talent shine through. A shame that will never happen now. RIP, VDB.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Damn. Sad... I was going to say shocking, but is it, really?

    RIP VDB.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    34.... blood clots in your lungs

    strewth
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    That's terrible, very sad news.
  • Steve Tcp
    Steve Tcp Posts: 7,350
    He is in there with Pantani as a high profile victim of corrupt systems and teams imo. Very sad indeed.
    Take care,

    Steve.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Kléber wrote:
    It's true apparently, a pulmonary embolism. Very sad news.

    He's been through the mill in his career. But he was a very stylish rider, his smooth pedalling and effortless attacking was a joy to watch at the time. The way he kept the chasers away in the 1995 Paris Bruxelles was amazing, a sign of his young talent..

    I remember that race... he bridged to Corvers and just stayed away

    very memorable... had a real race head and all that lad... made specific efforts at the right time...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • jim one
    jim one Posts: 183
    RIP VDB

    Is this just the start of the health problems for the riders of the 90's??

    Was the money really worth it Hein V :twisted:
  • AndyRubio
    AndyRubio Posts: 880
    edited October 2009
    bummer, there was something very likeable about him.
    In August 2006, Vandenbroucke was caught in an Italian amateur race at Inverno, run by an organisation not associated with the Italian federation or Olympic committee, using a licence made out to "Francesco del Ponte" and bearing a photo of the world champion, Tom Boonen. - from Wikipedia
    :D:D:D top man
    My hour on the plinth
  • berliner
    berliner Posts: 340
    Life seems to have been a struggle.

    If it’s dark and rainy it really is dark and rainy and you can’t alter it.
    BUT
    It will be sunny one day.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    RIP VDB

    Tragic end to a troubled life. He'd just started working with Aldo Sassi too.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Any chance of an EPO test as part of the post mortem?
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • ynyswen24
    ynyswen24 Posts: 703
    Sad news, you wouldn't wish a death like that on anyone...

    Whether his family will ever get a reliable answer as to the whys and wherefores (and lets face it a pulmonary embulism raises the possibility of previous EPO use as I understand it) has to be doubted - look at Pantani.

    A sad waste of a talent and, much more importantly, a sad end to what seemed to be a troubled life.
  • piet_eastsea
    piet_eastsea Posts: 4
    Rest in Peace Franky.
  • richard wants a baum
    richard wants a baum Posts: 744
    Really feel for his family, shame looked like he was getting things together again.
    Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.
  • Ratkilla
    Ratkilla Posts: 230
    Very sad. Rest in peace Frank.
    Dave Van Der Thourenhout. Legend.
    http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuse ... apped=true
  • thomasmc
    thomasmc Posts: 814
    Just to echo the comments here, very sad news. RIP
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Sad news and a terrible tragedy for his family. However, I agree with afx that this didn't come as a great surprise unfortunately.

    His L-B-L win in 1999 remains one of the most powerful displays I've seen from a rider. He started the day as the hot favourite, with all the attendant pressure that brings for a Belgian rider, and delivered the goods with panache.

    May he rest in peace.
  • Harry182
    Harry182 Posts: 1,170
    Shocking and sad.
    A controversial and troubled rider of late
    but was one of my heroes in his glory days.
    Kept hoping he'd make it back to the top.

    RIP VDB
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zenlv88feHg

    There is also that footage of him the the 99 Vuelta which is one of the most mind boggling displays ever.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • micron
    micron Posts: 1,843
    Isn't it time the sport stopped burying its head in the sand and started protecting riders - Boonen should have gone to rehab not the TdF, Pantani should have been given some care and attention not shoved back on his bike and now VDB, dead at 34 of a pulmonary embolism in a hotel room in Senegal. And this sport is 'clean' :roll:

    His palmares: 58 victories http://velopalmares.free.fr/vandenbroucke.htm

    Thanks for the great memories
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Very sad but not suprising - he always bore a huge burden of expectation.

    RIP, VDB
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • all show no go
    all show no go Posts: 542
    edited October 2009
    I echo everyone's sentiments and he can now finally rest. A career with fantastic highs unfortunately overshadowed by appalling low's. He was a man who appeared to be desperate to get his life and career back on track recently (too desperate?) but seemed to carry too much baggage for most. A real loss to his friends and family and a real loss to this wonderful sport of ours.

    RIP Frank.

    large_522234.jpg
    Let's close our eyes and see what happens
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    What a very sad end to a tragic life of extremes and a long list of less and less credible come-backs. Even just a week ago Italian cycling doctor Aldo Sassi stated that Frank could once win a classic again sometime. Immediately taken over with big headlines in Belgian newspapers. The tragic effects of pressures of talent and expectation.

    Rust in vrede Frank
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    It certainly is sad and definitely not surprising.
    No wonder I am angered, as well.
    Another troubled soul, left out in the cold.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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