Cyclist Dies After Two Heart Attacks

A Dutch cyclist has died in a hospital a week after suffering two heart attacks while competing at an under-23 race in Poland.

Gijs Verdick, 21, suffered the first cardiac arrest at about 1am on Tuesday, May 3, following the third stage of the Carpathian Couriers Race.

He was taken to hospital in Poland, where he suffered a second cardiac arrest and was subsequently placed into an artificial coma.

Verdick was transferred to a hospital in the Netherlands on Sunday, but a statement published on the website of his team, Cyclingteam Jo Piels, confirmed he had died on Monday.

It read: “We are very touched by this loss and very sad for the whole team. It is unreal what happened. For Gijs the transition to Cyclingteam Jo Piels was the dream to come true.

“Gijs was a fine boy to race with and we will miss him enormously. Our sympathy goes out to the family; we wish you a lot of power and strength during the processing of this loss.”

Verdick is the third cyclist to have died in just over six weeks.

Antoine Demoitie died after being hit by a race motorbike at Gent-Wevelgem in March, and just a day later, Daan Myngheer died after suffering a heart attack at the Criterium International.

Skysports

Cyclist Dies After Two Heart Attacks

Paris Attacks Still In Players" Thoughts

France manager Didier Deschamps says the Paris attacks are still on his players’ minds as they prepare to return to the Stade de France.

November’s attacks across the French capital killed 130 people, with three suicide bombers dying in blasts outside the stadium as France played Germany.

The Euro 2016 hosts play their first home match since the incident when they meet Russia on Tuesday.

“You don’t forget, but you have to move forward,” said Deschamps.

France captain Hugo Lloris added: “It’s important to return to the Stade de France to find our point of reference and confidence.”

Security at the national stadium will also be on high alert following last week’s Brussels attacks which left 35 dead.

“We have to have confidence in the security officials,” said Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris.

“We have to continue to live and to live our passion together, it’s important.”

Deschamps will watch his team in action for the final time before naming his 23-man Euro 2016 squad.

“We’ve only had friendlies for the past two years, but I’ve repeated to all the players, it is up to them to seize their chances and to give their all for themselves and the team,” said France’s 1998 World Cup-winning captain.

“They have nothing to lose and everything to win.”

France have been drawn alongside Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A. Russia are in Group B with England, Wales and Slovakia.

Credit: BBC

 

 

Paris Attacks Still In Players" Thoughts

Belgium Attacks: National Team Cancel Training Session

Belgium have cancelled Tuesday’s training session out of respect for the victims of the Brussels attacks.

The national team are scheduled to play Portugal in a friendly at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium on 29 March but the fixture is now in doubt.

Several explosions struck Brussels Airport and the metro system, causing at least 13 deaths, Belgian media say.

Belgium have qualified for Euro 2016 in France and are in Group E with Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

Belgium Attacks: National Team Cancel Training Session

Ninth Person Arrested Over Paris Attacks

Brussels police have arrested a man in connection with the Nov. 13 militant attacks in Paris which killed 130 people, federal prosecutors said on Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests in Belgium to nine.

 

 

The man was arrested earlier this week but prosecutors kept it quiet in order not to alert potential accomplices, a spokesman for federal prosecutors said. More details will be released later on Thursday, he said.

 

 

Belgian newspaper DH reported that the man arrested had been contacted by Hasna Ait Boulahcen, who gave shelter to the presumed ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Boulahcen and Abaaoud were both killed in a police raid days after the attacks.

 

Ninth Person Arrested Over Paris Attacks