Wow . . . Quatar racer found dead

[BumbleBeeDave]

Rider found dead in Qatar hotel
21-year-old Frederiek Nolf apparently died in his sleep in his Doha hotel room.

By Agence France Presse
Posted Feb. 5, 2009

Belgian cyclist, Frederiek Nolf, competing in the Tour of Qatar, was found dead in his hotel room Thursday morning prior to the start of the race’s fifth stage, race official Eddy Merckx announced.

Nolf, a member of Topsport Vlaanderen, was found dead by teammate Kristof Goddaert in a room they shared on the 14th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in Doha.

Organizers of the race, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), later officially confirmed reports of the rider’s death.

The Belgian rider, who turned professional last year, would have celebrated his 22nd birthday on February 10.

Goddaert said he found Nolf unconscious and tried, in vain, to wake him before alerting team officials and a team doctor.

"I tried shaking Frederiek's leg and told him to wake up, but I quickly realized that something was wrong. I took his hand but it was cold and there was no pulse," said team manager Jean-Pierre Heynderrickx.

The Topsport Vlaanderen team quit the tour Thursday morning and race organizers were making arrangements to return riders and staff to Belgium. Other riders on the team have also withdrawn from the Etoile de Bessèges in southern France, said team director Walter Planckaert.

According to Merckx Thursday's fifth stage — from the Camel Race Track to the Doha Foundation — will be shortened to 40 kilometers and neutralized in remembrance of the young Belgian.

"Out of respect for Frederiek Nolf, the riders will form a cortege throughout the stage," said Merckx.

"I spoke to his team manager (Heynderrickx) who told me there was nothing to indicate that something like this could happen. Yesterday (Wednesday) Frederiek seemed to be in good health," said Merckx.

Nolf's body was to be quickly repatriated to Belgium where his parents and fiancée had been informed of his death.

Team manager Christophe Sercu said he was unaware of any health issues the rider might have had. An autopsy is planned.

The last time a cyclist died in his sleep was in 2003 when Frenchman Fabrice Salanson, 23, died in similar circumstances at the Tour of Germany.

[caleb]

Rider found dead in Qatar hotel
21-year-old Frederiek Nolf apparently died in his sleep in his Doha hotel room.

"I spoke to his team manager (Heynderrickx) who told me there was nothing to indicate that something like this could happen. Yesterday (Wednesday) Frederiek seemed to be in good health," said Merckx.


After such things have happened for a generation, it's tough to imagine Heynderrickx saying that with a straight face

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . say an autopsy will be performed in Belgium. Cyclingnews.com has a story attributing the death to a "heart attack" . . . in a 21 year old.

Am I the only one wondering if the autopsy will include EPO testing? . . . and if it does reveal EPO use, will the results be hushed up. How many other young, extremely fit riders over the past 10 years have died in their sleep of "heart attacks?"

BBD

[Cantdog]

Dave-
Fabrice Salason died in his sleep a few years ago. He was 23 I believe. Pantani died of heart failure, although it was recreational drug induced(although the case could be easily made that cocaine can be a performance enhancer).

[Viper]

Dave-
Fabrice Salason died in his sleep a few years ago. He was 23 I believe. Pantani died of heart failure, although it was recreational drug induced(although the case could be easily made that cocaine can be a performance enhancer).

Cocaine is a performance drug. Ask Hollywood. Or the music industry.

Fabrice:

"Just a few months ago, I read about a study that had just been completed by the British Heart Foundation. They undertook an exhaustive study of SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome), in which a 'previously healthy' and young person suddenly died, and with no apparent cause found during autopsy. The study found that many of these cases were young men, who died while inactive or asleep (like Fabrice Salanson).

In this study, they not only looked at the deaths, but sought family histories, by testing the first degree relatives (siblings and parents) and asking about any family history of such deaths. They found that in about a quarter of the cases they found inheritable heart disease and about 20% had a history of sudden death in the family. They also found certain types of arrhythmias and hypertrophy (enlarged heart muscles) in the relatives they tested. However, arrhythmias don't show on an autopsy. Many of these are treatable, but apparently, many of the people affected don't feel ill. In one case, a cyclist in his late 20s died while going up a hill - it turned out his mother had died in her 40s, suddenly with no apparent cause. Siblings can also be at risk. One young man who died was found to have a surviving brother with a condition that required a pacemaker.

Of course, when professional cyclists die this way, naturally we think EPO, and it's probably understandable. I remember reading about a 19 year old Belgian kid who died that way last year, and thought, drugs for sure. But what's really sad is the families who never find any answers as to why someone in their 20s dies of 'natural causes' or worse, having rumors swirling around. If I were Fabrice Salanson's family, I'd get tested and bring the whole family with me!"

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:_JxD7WCQGScJ:www.cyclingnews.com/letters/%3Fid%3Dlatest+Fabrice+Salanson+autopsy&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us

[goonster]

Pantani died of heart failure, although it was recreational drug induced(although the case could be easily made that cocaine can be a performance enhancer).

Pantani coked himself to death, but there was nothing recreational about it.

[David Kirk]

Pantani coked himself to death, but there was nothing recreational about it.

Exactly - he was a pro.

dave

[Viper]

Pantani coked himself to death, but there was nothing recreational about it.

coke through a pipe = industrial
coke through the nose = recreational
MDMA through the mouth = normal

So say the users. "I know what I am doing and the consequences, live free or die" they quibble.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:28WgtAyI1JwJ:www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/06/1070625567019.html+ecstasy+cocaine&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . that every one of these poor souls who died young was a doper. Each and every one of these deaths is a tragedy for the individuals involved and their families and friends, no doubt about it, no matter what the cause. I just read the cycling media like everyone else, and it's difficult to get around the effects EPO usage has on blood thickness and the possibility it can create of a heart attack while sleeping.

Additionally, because I'm a cyclist and follow the sport I naturally notice and remember whenever there's a story like this. They may not happen that often, but when I see another one, up pop the memories of the others and it adds to my mental list.

I also have no real context to judge whether this sort of occurrence in cycling is that much different than other sports that involve similarly fit young athletes at high levels of daily exertion. Does it? Are there this many kinds of deaths in college or high school basketball? Pro soccer? Track & field marathoners? Other long distance runners in college or younger? I don't follow the media for those sports so I just don't know. How prevalent, really, are the kinds of congenital or inherited heart defects that cause sudden deaths like this?

BBD

[goonster]

Exactly - he was a pro.


My point is that by the time of his death, Pantani had so completely withdrawn from the world, and his cocaine use was so out of control, that there was no pretense of normality. He was also not attached to a team, and had no prospect of resurrecting his racing career.

For several years, he had chosen cocaine over racing. You're right, he was effectively a pro-level addict.

[David Kirk]

My point is that by the time of his death, Pantani had so completely withdrawn from the world, and his cocaine use was so out of control, that there was no pretense of normality. He was also not attached to a team, and had no prospect of resurrecting his racing career.

For several years, he had chosen cocaine over racing. You're right, he was effectively a pro-level addict.

I'm in 100% agreement.

dave

[goonster]

In January, one of Germany's top 800m runners died suddenly in his sleep. He was 26.

There was speculation of doping, but the autopsy revealed endocarditis, a viral infection of a heart muscle. He'd had flu, but had resumed full training.

[johnnymossville]

Personally, I'd prefer to leave the speculation to others right now and give the guy's family and friends my condolences at a time like this.

[thinpin]

Incorrect - edited, apologies

[slowgoing]

I would especially refrain from speculating that it was doping related. Unfortunately, there are plenty of natural causes that take out top endurance athletes, including enlarged hearts caused by their training, a al Steve Prefontaine.

[goonster]

there are plenty of natural causes that take out top endurance athletes, including enlarged hearts caused by their training, a al Steve Prefontaine.

Steve Prefontaine had an enlarged heart?

In any case, it's not what killed him.

[slowgoing]

Steve Prefontaine had an enlarged heart?

In any case, it's not what killed him.

Ah, my mistake, wrong athlete. Prefontaine died in the one car accident, some say due to alcohol, others speculated that it was due to his enlarged heart.

The example I meant to cite was Steve Shay, long distance runner who collapsed and died during New York marathon, reportedly due to enlarged heart causing irregular heartbeat:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2008-03-18-1606329380_x.htm

[dekindy]

Unfortunately young people with no apparent health problems die. Several years ago a 25-year old co-worker died while playing hockey. An autopsy revealed an enlarged heart. Death was instantaneous and apparently without any warning or symptoms. He was literally dead before he hit the ice. I remember talking with him at the end of the work day and he died within 2 or 3 hours of our conversation. It was a little unsettling.

I always use President Clinton as an example. He had the best medical care in the world with annual physicals yet still had a heart attack. It is my understanding that even with modern medicine that heart disease is extremely hard to detect.

I personally don't know how I would ever know if I had heart disease. I have had occasional chest pains of various types for as long as I can remember.

[93legendti]

Personally, I'd prefer to leave the speculation to others right now and give the guy's family and friends my condolences at a time like this.
+1. Our good friend's brother died 3 years ago at the age of 35. Heart attack, no drugs.

[KJMUNC]

Clipped from cyclingnews.com

"Freddy Nolf, father of deceased rider Frederiek Nolf, has said that he does not want to have an autopsy performed on his son. Nolf's body is expected to arrive in Belgium on Tuesday.

"Out of respect for Frederiek, we see no sense" in an autopsy to determine the cause of death, Freddy Nolf told nieuwsblad.be. "He has gone to sleep in a peaceful, natural manner. It is time to leave Frederiek to his rest."

He added, "What will it bring if we learn the exact cause? Nothing. Frederiek will not return because of it."

[BumbleBeeDave]

On the one hand, my heart goes out to the family and the father, who has lost a son.

It's difficult to consider the other side, but I feel I must disagree with all respect with the father's view that nothing will be learned if the exact cause is found. If his son died of a congenital or previously unknown hereditary defect, then the rest of the family deserves to know so they can be tested, too. Saving other lives may depend on it.

If it does turn out he died of a condition caused by PED usage, then whoever is in charge of the team's anti-doping efforts, be it the UCI or team officials, need to know so they can figure out what went wrong--how did he get the PED's? Who may have supplied them to him? How can further incidents be prevented?

Either way, you have to feel so sorry for this family and their loss. It's difficult for me to even imagine losing my daughter unexpectedly in such a way, and in that context it's difficult to feel anything other than sympathy.

BBD

[mikki]

I agree with you Dave. Not only does the dad have the grief of the death to deal with but the embarrassment of possibility learning of any drug use? Ugh. Indeed it may help others in some way to learn the truth, but he may be overwhelmed at the moment and just not able to deal with more stress in the situation. I can only imagine his pain.

[malcolm]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone dying from an enlarged heart from training. You can certainly die from IHSS a version of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that will occur while seemingly healthy people are exerting themselves or at rest, but the illness did not occur from training. Brugada syndrome also is a cause of sudden death in otherwise healthy young people and difficult to diagnose. It can be familial and usually the person has a history of passing out or almost passing out. Elevated hematocrit and profound bradycardia are also a formula for disaster. I don't think training in anyway causes a pathologic enlarged heart.

[BumbleBeeDave]

(snipped) . . . Not only does the dad have the grief of the death to deal with but the embarrassment of possibility learning of any drug use? . . . but he may be overwhelmed at the moment and just not able to deal with more stress in the situation. I can only imagine his pain.

An autopsy is the logical thing to do, but at this point what parent could possibly be expected to be totally logical? But for my part, if I did lose my only child suddenly, I like to think given my personality I would be absolutely consumed with finding out why? Why? WHY did she have to die? What happened??? The mysterious aspect of it would just compound the need for me to find out the reason.

BBD

[tomwd3]

If it was my child...I'd have to know.
You're never going to be the same either way.