Nathan Van Hooydonck retires from cycling after accident due to heart problems

Nathan Van Hooydonck has been forced to retire due to a cardiac anomaly detected in the tests he underwent after the accident he suffered a few days ago. The Jumbo-Visma rider explained that despite the consequences of the heart attack he has been "incredibly lucky" and now wants to focus on the birth of his daughter.

Van Hooydonck survives the heart attack that caused his accident but must retires from cycling

The cycling world was shocked to hear the news of Van Hooydonck's delicate state of health after the accident he suffered on September 12. The Belgian rider suffered a heart attack while driving and crashed into five other cars. His pregnant wife was in the passenger seat, but was only slightly injured.

Both passengers, who were involved in the accident in the city of Kalmthout at around 8:30 a.m., were taken to the University Hospital in Antwerp. Before the transfer, Van Hooydinck had to be resuscitated at the scene of the accident.

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Upon arrival at the hospital, he was induced into a coma, although Jumbo-Visma later released a statement saying that the rider was awake and not in critical condition.

Jonas Vingegaard dedicated the victory of stage 16 of La Vuelta a España, held on the same day, September 12, to him.

The medical team then examined Van Hooydonck to find out why he had suffered the accident. After the tests, they determined that it was a cardiac anomaly and decided to fit him with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This device is capable of "diagnosing rapid arrhythmias and applying sufficient energy from inside the body to defibrillate the heart," as the Heart Foundation explains.

In a statement released by Jumbo-Visma, Van Hooydonck says, "I realize that I have been incredibly lucky." He adds that "things could have gone differently if I hadn't received good help so quickly. I'm fine now, but I still have to face the fact that this marks the end of my professional career. I want to express my gratitude to the people who helped me, the medical team at the hospital and all the fans who sent me messages. I will now 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. That helps me a lot now."

Van Hooydonck had raced the Tour of Britain, which he finished just two days before the accident. The Gooreind rider will be 28 in less than a month and is a major loss for his team, including Vingegaard and Roglic, and especially for Van Aert, a close friend of his.