Frank Vandenbroucke

aarw

Le Commentateur wrote:

Any chance of an EPO test as part of the post mortem?

Which would achieve what exactly? :roll: Let his family grieve.

Very very sad news. As has been said, 34 is much too young for anyone to die. There is no doubt the lad had a lot of talent.

bikerZA

Very sad news.

I'm guessing a pulmonary embolism in a 34 year old is not normal?

Tom Butcher

aarw wrote:

Le Commentateur wrote:

Any chance of an EPO test as part of the post mortem?

Which would achieve what exactly? :roll: Let his family grieve.

Very very sad news. As has been said, 34 is much too young for anyone to die. There is no doubt the lad had a lot of talent.

It's a sensitive subject but I think it's better to establish the cause of death - if doping is implicated then that should be established - I think that if I were his family I'd want to know anyway and I'd want the result to be known - but of course I can't speak for them.

Kléber

There is talk of a pulmonary embolism... but it seems no post mortem has been conducted, an autopsy will happen in the coming days.

northernneil

the sheer number of professional wrestlers from the 1980's which have dropped dead with heart problems at such a young age means that I fear this could be just the start of the problems for cyclists in the 90's who were abusing their bodies in a similar (if more 'controled' manner)

(for those of you that dont know professional wreslting virtually activily promoted the use of steriods and drugs throughout the decades of 80's & 90's only bringing in a 'wellness program' 3 years ago in response to the sheer number of deaths of ex-wrestlers)

Pross

aarw wrote:

Le Commentateur wrote:

Any chance of an EPO test as part of the post mortem?

Which would achieve what exactly? :roll: Let his family grieve.

Very very sad news. As has been said, 34 is much too young for anyone to die. There is no doubt the lad had a lot of talent.

If a link was established then it could achieve a lot. It could help the current and future generations to realise the long term effects of doping and force the UCI into long term monitoring of riders health to ensure future tragedies don't occur. That isn't saying he was definately involved but, as I said, if a link was established.

That said I think I'm wearing rose tinted glasses as I suspect those involved in doping already know the risks but the will / pressure to win just over-rides all else.

Such a sad loss of someone who could have been one of the greats if he'd just been left to ride to his full potential.

calvjones

Steve Tcp

Pross wrote:

That said I think I'm wearing rose tinted glasses as I suspect those involved in doping already know the risks but the will / pressure to win just over-rides all else.

You're right there Pross, I imagine a lot of pros (and ex pros) get a bit of a shudder down the spine when they read such news as this about VDB.

dave_1

I see rumours of medications found with Frank. This is all very sad. Pantani 04 over again it reads like

Monty Dog

Sadly, just another statistic - Jiminez, Pantani, VDB and no doubt many others to follow. I can't ever see the denials stopping from the UCI, they must be particularly proud of the 'legacy' they've created - but no doubt Verbruggen and his leprachaun chum will be saying it's all behind us..

csp

It's hard to believe he was only 34, he looked much older. And I think this applies to many professional cyclists. And all these news of heart failure in their 20's and 30's and sucicides, drug addiction, depression make me realize that behind this cover of glamour, the Ferraris, the celebrity status there is a hell of a lot of suffering as well.

Bronzie

Very sad to hear this news - rest in peace Frank

moray_gub

Tom Butcher wrote:

aarw wrote:

Le Commentateur wrote:

Any chance of an EPO test as part of the post mortem?

Which would achieve what exactly? :roll: Let his family grieve.

Very very sad news. As has been said, 34 is much too young for anyone to die. There is no doubt the lad had a lot of talent.

It's a sensitive subject but I think it's better to establish the cause of death - if doping is implicated then that should be established - I think that if I were his family I'd want to know anyway and I'd want the result to be known - but of course I can't speak for them.

+1

too many jumping on the drugs bandwagon at the moment a bit disrespectful imo.

iainf72

More details emerging

http://www.velonews.com/article/99198

sudholz

To die at 34 is tragic....for anyone, under any circumstances. RIP

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

More details emerging

http://www.velonews.com/article/99198

"before adding that "we shouldn't lose ourselves in conjecture" over the cause of his death"

The death and subsequent autopsy of Stephen Gately proves that its wise to wait until cause of death has been established before indulging in the kind of mudslinging that seems be rife in here.

afx237vi

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

More details emerging

http://www.velonews.com/article/99198

"before adding that "we shouldn't lose ourselves in conjecture" over the cause of his death"

The death and subsequent autopsy of Stephen Gately proves that its wise to wait until cause of death has been established before indulging in the kind of mudslinging that seems be rife in here.

It's not just in here. I thought the comments by Matt White published on Cyclingnews were pretty inappropriate.

And as you mention Stephen Gateley, the mass media have hardly been paragons of taste and sensitivity in that case, either. I was watching Sky News this morning when the autopsy results were been announced (gee, just like X Factor), and even after the natural causes verdict had been reported on, the newsreader was still going on about the theory that he had choked on his vomit after a binge drinking session.

dave_1

VDB appears to have been in pretty good shape through August, racing weekly crits and Derny events placed among well known pro names in top 10, so really can't see how his health was such an issue-his physical health anyway. What I am most angered by is the omerta brigade on twitter who have not said a word yet. Damn them

Kléber

afx237vi wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

More details emerging

http://www.velonews.com/article/99198

"before adding that "we shouldn't lose ourselves in conjecture" over the cause of his death"

The death and subsequent autopsy of Stephen Gately proves that its wise to wait until cause of death has been established before indulging in the kind of mudslinging that seems be rife in here.

It's not just in here. I thought the comments by Matt White published on Cyclingnews were pretty inappropriate

All true.

But VDB had allegedly twice tried to commit suicide, even describing one attempt in his biography, he was "advised" by a doctor that combination of insulin and tranquilisers would work.

So many will speculate, it's inevitable. In Belgium VDB is a real household name, think Paul Gascoigne in the mid-1990s and then add more. It's front page news all over the place in Belgium.

GroupOfOne MkII

afx237vi wrote:

It's not just in here. I thought the comments by Matt White published on Cyclingnews were pretty inappropriate.

I thought that when I saw them this morning. Not quite sure why they asked White to contribute comments on VDB, he never rode in a team with him right? I'm guessing it was because a) he's an Anglophone or b) they happened to be talking to him at the time anyway for something else.

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

So many will speculate, it's inevitable. In Belgium VDB is a real household name, think Paul Gascoigne in the mid-1990s and then add more. It's front page news all over the place in Belgium.

Indeed - just like the red tops here

http://www.hln.be/

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza

etc

moray_gub

afx237vi wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

More details emerging

http://www.velonews.com/article/99198

It's not just in here. I thought the comments by Matt White published on Cyclingnews were pretty inappropriate.

.

Just had a look his comments are quite frankly a disgrace there is a time and a place and the day after his sad death isnt one of them.

dave_1

I read through VDBs wikipedia page. It is really quite an upsetting read in hindsight.

Re Matt White cyclingnews,com...that is Matthew White-garmin?

GroupOfOne MkII

Yup Dave, it is.

crown_jewel

I'm sorry he died so young but all this talk about how successful he was as a racer without pointing out that he doped is a bit unbalanced.

Kléber

I think many of us have mentioned the doping. Part of his legacy will be some of the most comic excuses for doping, like the "it was for my pet dog" excuse.

But so many others were doping too. It could be that we was doped far more than the others but VDB dominated races from the day he started, he was school and junior champion of Belgium which suggests an innate talent. He turned pro very early and started winning classics in his early 20s. I think that f the sport had somehow existed without doping then he'd still have been one of the best riders in the 1990s.

timoid.

Kléber wrote:

I think many of us have mentioned the doping. Part of his legacy will be some of the most comic excuses for doping, like the "it was for my pet dog" excuse.

But so many others were doping too. It could be that we was doped far more than the others but VDB dominated races from the day he started, he was school and junior champion of Belgium which suggests an innate talent. He turned pro very early and started winning classics in his early 20s. I think that f the sport had somehow existed without doping then he'd still have been one of the best riders in the 1990s.

Agreed 100%. I genuinely think he would have been a talent regardless of the dope. He was fast from an early age.

Poor fella. Depression is a horrible thing and it wrecked his life. RIP Frank. Thanks for the memories.

SpaceJunk

Matt White's comments were way out of line, and disrespectful (and I'm a big fan of him).

And CN are just as disgraceful for putting them online.

iainf72

3 people have been arrested for stealing a phone and cash from VDB

aarw

iainf72 wrote:

3 people have been arrested for stealing a phone and cash from VDB

Before or after he died?