Belgian Rider found dead at Tour of Qatar

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.

The cause of death is not yet known. Nolf joined the team two years ago and the Tour of Qatar was his first race of the season. Team manager Christophe Sercu was adamant that the rider was drug free – pointing out that every rider on the team was tested every four months for doping.

The Tour of Qatar continued Thursday despite the sudden death Belgian Frederiek Nolf the night before at the official race hotel.

The riders were not in shape to compete today, above all the Belgians. I think that to stop the race all together would have been bad. When [Fabio] Casartelli died they did not stop the stage [Tour de France stage 15, July 18, 1995 - ed.], they kept going," said cycling legend and race official Eddy Merckx.

Nolf was on the 14th floor of the Ritz-Carlton where the entire cycling fraternity is camped for the 2009 Tour of Qatar.

Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercatobel is one of the 17 teams taking part in the six-day Tour of Qatar, which ends today.

“We feel very sorry for the team (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercatobel) and the team-mates of Frederick,” President of the Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) Sheikh Khalid bin Al Thani, said yesterday. “It could have happened to anybody. It is very unfortunate,” Sheikh Khalid added. “It is bad news. Death can come suddenly and it happened today.”

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