Same fate as Colbrelli, for the twenty-seven year old Belgian, forced to leave cycling due to a heart anomaly: “I feel incredibly lucky”
After the terrible car accident that involved him last week, Nathan Van Hooydonck left Antwerp hospital today. The Belgian rider from Team Jumbo-Visma is fine, but he will have to say goodbye to his professional career. In fact, yesterday the twenty-seven-year-old was fitted with a subcutaneous defibrillator (ICD) to correct a potential future cardiac arrhythmia: in-depth tests revealed a heart muscle anomaly which caused the almost fatal illness a few days ago. A story that closely resembles what happened to Sonny Colbrelli, the “Cobra” winner of the Roubaix who collapsed immediately after crossing the finish line of the first stage at the 2022 Tour of Catalonia.
the runner’s words
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“I realize I have been incredibly lucky,” Van Hooydonck said. “Things would have been different if I hadn’t received such quick help. I’m fine now, but I still have to come to terms with the fact that this marks the end of my professional career. I would like to express my gratitude to the people who helped me, the medical team at the hospital and all the fans who have sent me messages. Now I will focus on my recovery and my upcoming fatherhood. Everything is going well with Alicia and the pregnancy, and we are looking forward to the birth. This is very important to me help now.” The team and the rider ask the media to give Nathan the rest he needs to fully recover from the accident.