Cyclist Nathan van Hooydonck has been rushed to hospital in a ‘life-threatening condition’ after being involved in a car crash with his pregnant wife. The Belgian rider is fighting for his life after falling ill at the wheel of the car before crashing into five other vehicles in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Tuesday morning, with Van Hooydonck taken to hospital to treat his injuries following the serious incident.
According to reports in Belgium, the 27-year-old had been at a junction in the town of Kalhmthout, north of Antwerp, with his pregnant wife in the passenger seat.
While waiting, Van Hooydonck suddenly became ill at the wheel and the reaction caused him to inadvertently accelerate into oncoming traffic.
The car is then said to have collided with five other vehicles on the other side of the junction before grinding to a halt.
He was resuscitated at the scene and later taken to hospital in a ‘critical condition’, as reported by publication Het Laatste Nieuws.
The extent of his injuries are not yet known, but his heavily pregnant wife, who was sat next to him in the car, was not seriously injured.
Local police officer Patrick de Smedt said: “The driver was resuscitated on site and taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. His pregnant wife who was sitting next to him was not injured, but was also taken to hospital for a check-up.”
It is reported another driver and a child passenger were slightly injured in the pile-up.
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Van Hooydonck is a professional cyclist and currently contracted to Team Jumbo-Visma after joining the team in 2021. He raced in the 2023 Tour de France and most recently won the fifth stage of Tour of Britain in Felixstowe only five days ago.
Team Jumbo-Visma are yet to publically comment on the incident.
Last year, Van Hooydonck was forced to end his participation in the Tour de France at Stage 20, citing family circumstances as the reason behind his withdrawal.
He and his wife were preparing to welcome their first child into the world, with his partner Alicia said to be eight months pregnant, after their son Thiago was stillborn at the end of 2021.
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