Cyclist Michael Goolaerts dies following cardiac arrest in Paris-Roubaix classic

Cycling has been left mourning the death of a young Belgian rider, Michael Goolaerts, after he crashed heavily during Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix cycle race.

The 23 year-old, who was in his second year as a professional rider with Veranda’s Willems-Crelan, died of cardiac arrest his team confirmed in a statement late on Sunday night.

“It is with unimaginable sadness that we have to communicate the passing of our rider and friend Michael Goolaerts,” read the statement. “He passed away Sunday evening at 22:40 in Lille hospital in the presence of his family members and loved ones, who we keep in our thoughts. He died of cardiac arrest, all medical assistance was to no avail.

"For now there will be no further communication as we want to give his close ones time to deal with this terrible loss. We thank you in advance for respecting the privacy of his relatives.”

Goolaerts crashed on the Briastre cobble sector with just over 150km of the 257km race remaining. He was airlifted to hospital after receiving CPR treatment by the side of the road.

The Belgian’s death completely overshadowed a brilliant win by Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan, who became the first rider since Bernard Hinault in 1981 to triumph in the ‘Hell of the North’ while wearing the rainbow jersey of the reigning world road champion.

Sagan – whose previous best result in Paris-Roubaix was sixth and who went into the race under huge pressure, with many in the sport wondering out loud whether he merited his status as favourite given he had only ever won one Monument, the 2016 Tour of Flanders – decided to take matters into his own hands 53km from the finish.

Sagan attacked on the sector of pavé from Auchy to Bersée, catching the day’s breakaway riders and the pressing on with two of them, Lotto-Soudal’s Jelle Wallays and AG2R’s Swiss champion Silvan Dillier, establishing a 1min30sec lead. When Wallays fell away, there were only two. And despite a high-class four-man chase group of Greg van Avermaet (BMC), Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac), they were never less than 45sec ahead.

As they came into the Roubaix velodrome, Sagan was the heavy favourite and the Slovakian waited on his rival’s wheel until the final 200m before launching his race-winning sprint.

Sagan acknowledged he had had his share of luck. “I never had a puncture and I was never involved in a crash like I was before in other years. I am very happy.”

Dillier described the winner as both a devil and an angel. “An angel because he took me with him and a devil because I had to go man-to-man with him,” he said. “Congratulations to him.”

Team Sky’s British hopefuls Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe both suffered race-ending crashes although neither was seriously hurt. Dylan van Baarle was the team’s top finisher in 19th.