Belgium news is reporting a 56 year-old male French cyclist participating in the sixth edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege cyclosportive died in a catastrophic head-on automobile crash on Saturday.

On a rainy and windy day, the rider was approximately halfway through the 155 kilometers long route, when he allegedly crossed the road center line near Grand-Halleux and crashed directly into a car driving the opposite direction. Emergency medics were on scene quickly to treat the gravely injured rider, who was rushed by rescue helicopter to hospital in Liège, where he died a few hours later.

The local prosecutor’s office announced, “It seems that the cyclist crossed the white line in a bend and hit the car that came in the opposite direction.” Adding, “A priori, there is no responsibility of the driver, who was negative for alcohol.”

This year over 8500 cyclists participated in 81, 155 and 251km long versions of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest spring classic professional bike race in Europe.

Photo Credit: LBL Challenge

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