On his birthday

Doctors thought he had a cold – talented cyclist (19) dead!

Talented cyclist Tuur Hancke died on his 19th birthday.(Bild: instagram.com/tuurhancke)

Death drama for Tuur Hancke! Doctors thought the talented Belgian cyclist only had a cold, but Hancke died of a serious infection on his 19th birthday of all days.

"Tuur had been with our juniors since 2022 and with the reserves last season," said the statement from his last team "Gaverzicht - Be Okay en EFC - L&R". It was only at the end of October that the talented player decided not to pursue his sporting career any further. "What initially seemed like a hobby has developed into an important part of my life in recent years. Now it's time to enjoy other things in life," he wrote on Instagram at the time.

Tragically, he was denied this opportunity. According to the Belgian daily newspaper "Het Nieuwsblad", Hancke died of a serious infection that proved fatal within a day.

Doctors believed it was a flu-like infection
"He returned from class to his dormitory because he didn't feel well," "Het Nieuwsblad" quotes Hancke's father. "He thought he had a cold because he had ridden his bike in the rain on Sunday." The doctors also suspected a flu-like infection and sent the young man home. "Once he arrived at the dormitory, his condition continued to deteriorate," explains the father.

Blood poisoning
Hancke was taken to hospital and treated with antibiotics, but during the night he struggled with death in vain. According to rescue chief Tania Desmet, the athlete had suffered blood poisoning: "This is serious and dramatic. The condition worsens within a few hours. We are always behind the times. And that's exactly what happened in this case."