No sadder eve could have existed for the Ronde. Today, We Ride Flanders, the Tour of Flanders for amateurs, was marred by two tragic events. At the start of the race, 14,800 cyclists lined up, with 3,400 choosing to tackle the full 229 km course. The number of foreign riders approached 10,000 units.

Unfortunately, the organizers announced that a Dutch cyclist suffered a heart attack on the Taaienberg, one of the most challenging walls, and despite immediate and prolonged rescue efforts, nothing could be done for him.

The scene dramatically repeated itself on the Oude Kwaremont, in the municipality of Kluisbergen, where a French cyclist fell ill, was resuscitated for over 45 minutes by the medical personnel present, then transported by helicopter to the hospital but passed away shortly after admission.

A similar scene occurred on the Eikenberg, in the municipality of Maarkedal, but this time the rescuers managed to revive the cyclist who was then hospitalized.

The organizers were forced to divert the race at multiple points to provide assistance to the unfortunate cyclists, and it was not simple for them to ensure maximum safety for all participants.