In the summer of 2023, with some impressive performances at the Spring Classics under his belt, Belgian pro cyclist Nathan Van Hooydonck supported his team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, to a second successive win in the Tour de France.
The 27-year-old’s other Jumbo-Visma teammates included Wout van Aert and Sepp Kuss. He was full of promise, having also notably helped Primož Roglič to a Vuelta a España win in 2021. Then, just two months later, it all came crashing down.
While driving at home in Belgium, in mid September, his pregnant wife in the passenger seat, Van Hooydonck suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He crashed the car and, in his words, was “dead for a little bit”, before being resuscitated at the scene. After several emergency surgeries, he thankfully awoke in…
