Rider found dead in Qatar

helmutRoole2 said:

Rider found dead in Qatar Hotel
From Velonews/Agence France

(It should be noted in the story but was not that more than a half dozen Dutch cyclists died in their sleep during the early 90s presumably the result of overly viscous blood from EPO use -- Helmut.)

Belgian cyclist Frederiek Nolf, competing in the Tour of Qatar, was found dead in his bedroom Thursday morning prior to stage five, one of the race chiefs, Eddy Merckx, announced... (more)

So they're going to do an autopsy. I assume the results won't be published?

Cobblestones said:

So they're going to do an autopsy. I assume the results won't be published?

I'd guess they would but who knows. I'd like to think that the press corps would follow through...

helmutRoole2 said:

I'd guess they would but who knows. I'd like to think that the press corps would follow through...

It's a pity L'Equipe doesn't report on dope stories anymore..... this boy must have smoked some wicked hash the night before.

whiteboytrash said:

It's a pity L'Equipe doesn't report on dope stories anymore..... this boy must have smoked some wicked hash the night before.

eerr

Jean-Pierre Heynderrickx (DS) "Nothing alerted us to a health problem," he emphasized. "Frederiek was in top form. Last night, I was joking with him just until he went to bed at 10 PM." His roomate noticed nothing during the night, and Frederiek Nolf was found lying on his back, in his normal sleeping position. The DS further declared, "our riders undergo medical tests four times a year at the University of Louvain (in Belgium) and all Frederiek’s parameters / stats have always been normal. What has happened was completely unexpected."

Flyer said:

eerr

wwwe

Was doping (e.g. thick blood) the cause of death? I can't find any updates on this story.

jojoma said:

Was doping (e.g. thick blood) the cause of death? I can't find any updates on this story.

wwee

jojoma said:

Was doping (e.g. thick blood) the cause of death? I can't find any updates on this story.

I don't think anyone knows yet but this kind of a death always raises questions. Reminds me of the death of a Russian hockey player a little while ago. He collapsed during a game and was later found to have been using PEDs.

cyclingnews.comnews.phpOpen ↗

Father doesn't want an autopsy performed.
Belgian and Qatarian doctors say death was due to "natural causes".

I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid...

tonyzackery said:

cyclingnews.comnews.phpOpen ↗

Father doesn't want an autopsy performed.
Belgian and Qatarian doctors say death was due to "natural causes".

I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid...

At 21, a natural death?! Forgive me for asking but how can a doctor determine this without an autopsy?

I guess one has to ask the question: 'if it is due to EPO or some PED then what good would it do knowing this?' Nothing would change, would it?

tomUK:

It could be some congenital defect such as, e.g., a cavernous haemangioma. If undetected, such a thing could simply burst and start hemorrhaging. If it's cerebral, the hemorrhaging could possibly be fatal. And you wouldn't have any warning. Anyway, it could be described as 'natural cause', except you'd need to do an autopsy to find out about it. However, this is not at all what I think happened. It's just to say that there are rare examples where a 21 year old could suddenly die without warning due to natural causes.

About the autopsy:

I think it is a strange decision. I would think that unless the cause of death for 21 year old is abundantly obvious, an autopsy is pretty much standard procedure. I would even assume that an autopsy could be ordered if there is any suspicion of a criminal act (such as prescription drug abuse). Such a suspicion would obviously override any wishes of parents or other relatives.

So, assuming the guy was doping, do you think the parents knew about it? Or maybe the parents only suspect, and don't want confirmation by performing the autopsy (and possible leaks to the press)? What a horrible positions to be in.

tonyzackery said:

cyclingnews.comnews.phpOpen ↗

Father doesn't want an autopsy performed.
Belgian and Qatarian doctors say death was due to "natural causes".

I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid...

I have to say, I'm pretty damn surprised. I didn't think they could do that. It wouldn't happen like that in most Western countries, right? I mean... right?

Some guy just drops dead and the doctor can tell just by looking at him that it's from natural causes?

tomUK said:

At 21, a natural death?! Forgive me for asking but how can a doctor determine this without an autopsy?

I guess one has to ask the question: 'if it is due to EPO or some PED then what good would it do knowing this?' Nothing would change, would it?

Change? Maybe not tangibly, but perceptibly.

Personally, I don't like anyone trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Insulting my intelligence is asking for a fight...that's just me though...

edit:
I could hear the sigh of relief that came from McQuaid all the way over here in western Canada...

The father either knows his son was at risk of dying from a prexisting condition or he does not want his son's memory besmirched by what he suspects an autopsy will find. I doubt the former possibility because he would be unlikely to be racing it it were true.

It would be interesting if a total could be made of the number of riders who McQuaid and Verbruggen have killed with their doping cover-up. There has been a human cost to the UCI's attempt to maintain the commercial viability of the sport by whitewashing the drug use.

tomUK said:

At 21, a natural death?! Forgive me for asking but how can a doctor determine this without an autopsy?

I guess one has to ask the question: 'if it is due to EPO or some PED then what good would it do knowing this?' Nothing would change, would it?

dff

Bro Deal said:

The father either knows his son was at risk of dying from a prexisting condition or he does not want his son's memory besmirched by what he suspects an autopsy will find. I doubt the former possibility because he would be unlikely to be racing it it were true.

It would be interesting if a total could be made of the number of riders who McQuaid and Verbruggen have killed with their doping cover-up. There has been a human cost to the UCI's attempt to maintain the commercial viability of the sport by whitewashing the drug use.

Are McQuaid and Verbruggen liable though?

I can understand peoples frustration with those two clowns.

helmutRoole2 said:

I have to say, I'm pretty damn surprised. I didn't think they could do that. It wouldn't happen like that in most Western countries, right? I mean... right?

Some guy just drops dead and the doctor can tell just by looking at him that it's from natural causes?

there are instances in which a doctor, especially if he/she is the physician treating a condition the individual has, can sign the death certificate without an autopsy. a rarity, sure, but it still happens in the usa. as for this case, i am surprised that no autopsy will be done.

Flyer said:

dff

ddff