Shortly after it became known that the Swiss Muriel Furrer had suffered a particularly serious fall during the World Championships for junior girls in Zurich, news came from the Netherlands about the sudden death of Bas van Belle. A second young cycling life that suddenly ends. This 24-year-old rider from Cycling Club Groot-Amsterdam was on the verge of a professional career a few years ago. Persistent groin problems definitely stood in the way of this.
Lifelong scar
Less than 2 months ago, the Van Belle family from Zoetermeer could have been euphoric. Daughter Lisa, 20 years old, won bronze in the Team Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the side of Maike van der Duin, rider with the WorldTour team Canyon//SRAM Racing. A particularly pleasant surprise, because the pawn of the Belgian Proximus-Cyclis only rode her first ever Team Race a year ago. Because she had to find what she is best at on the cycling track.
Actually, this was just a continuation of other great achievements in cycling by the Van Belle family. Things seemed to be going well for them, because brother Loe signed a 3-season contract with Team Visma│Lease a Bike a year ago. In his 1st year in the WorldTour, the 22-year-old rider was allowed to ride Tour Down Under, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Things went wrong for Loe van Belle in the Tour de Wallonie. He suffered a broken shoulder in a fall in the opening stage.
Something like that gets resolved. What the Dutch family is now enduring will remain a lifelong scar. For the parents, for Loe and Lisa who lost their big brother. Losing a child of barely 24 years old is very difficult to process. The message from the Dutch federation shows that Bas van Belle’s death was sudden and completely unexpected.
Spider King-Soenens U19
Years ago it looked like Bas van Belle could also make a career in the pros. In 2018, as a 2nd year junior, he reached the podium at Nokere Koerse in the spring. The Dutchman came 3rd after Ilan Van Wilder and the Dane Marcus Sander Hansen. Van Wilder has been a professional with the WorldTour team Soudal Quick-Step for several years now, Hansen has been working for the procontinental Uno-X Mobility for 2 seasons.
Among the juniors, Bas van Belle defended the colors of the Spider King-Soenens U19 Team, a West Flemish formation that was disbanded in 2019. The young rider came into the spotlight among the Dutch selection men and was allowed to participate in Nations Cup competitions such as Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix. In Wevelgem he even just reached the top 10. The ultimate reward came later in 2018. With a selection for the World Cup in Innsbruck. Where he crossed the line in 61st place. Almost 19 minutes from Remco Evenepoel.
However, it was not easy for Bas van Belle to find a team for 2019 when he switched to the reserves. He was able to join the continental Leopard Pro Cycling. He stayed with the Luxembourg team for 2 seasons. Due to the pandemic, the 2nd season was canceled. As a result, he has defended the colors of Cycling Club Greater Amsterdam since 2021. Last Sunday, September 22, 2024, he rode his last race for the club team with the Omloop van Midden-Brabant.
Podium in Japan
Bas van Belle no longer thought about a professional career. Still, he was having a great season. In contrast to previous years, he mainly raced in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2024. In Beerse, Antwerp, he missed out on winning a fair race at the beginning of May. Then he gave up on Joren Segers in a duel. During that period he was in good shape, because he finished 4th in Lutlommel. There he had to recognize his superiors in Vinny Bzdenga, Belgian victory king Rutger Wouters and Sven Noels.
Bas van Belle was also able to participate in a number of foreign competitions with the club from Amsterdam in the past. At the end of 2023, he went to Japan, where he won the Nagato Criterium in the city of Yamaguchi and came 3rd in the Tour de Okinawa, a UCI category 1.2 competition. The eldest of the racing family had moved to Sittard, to the Watersley Sports & Talent Park. His remains were found there on Thursday. We hereby offer our condolences to the affected family, friends and supporters.
: brother of Visma professional and Olympic medalist dies suddenly and completely unexpectedly){kind=link}