Belgian cyclist Theil De Decker, winner of this year’s Paris Roubaix in the under-23 category, died this Friday at the age of 22, two days after a training accident, his Lotto-Dstny team said.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Tail De Decker following a training accident on Wednesday,” the team wrote on the social network, formerly Twitter.
De Decker crashed hard into the back of a car during practice and was taken to a hospital in Lierre (Antwerp) where he underwent surgery before being transferred to Antwerp University Hospital where he remained in an induced coma.
The winner of the stages of the Tour of Taiwan and Alsace, in July the Belgian made a name for himself by beating Pari-Roubaix, in the hope of signing a professional contract with Lotto-Dstny with an eye on the next season.