Michael Goolaerts

Biography Goolaerts was born in Lier and grew up in Hallaar, Heist-op-den-Berg, where he became a member of the Balen Bicycle Club. He won the provincial individual time trial championship title of Antwerp in the newcomers category in 2010. He also won the individual time trial championship title in the juniors category in 2011. In 2012, he was part of the teams that won Belgian national junior championship titles in the team pursuit and the team sprint. That year he also finished eighth in the junior version of the Tour of Flanders. and had a top-10 position in the GP Briek Schotte. That year he also made the early breakaways in the Tour of Flanders, where he remained in the front group for over 200 km, Halle–Ingooigem, where his performance earned the praise of Tom Boonen, At the start of the 2018 season he placed ninth in Dwars door West–Vlaanderen.

On 8 April 2018, Goolaerts started in his first Paris–Roubaix. On the second cobbled sector, at Briastre, after 109 km of racing, he suffered cardiorespiratory arrest and lay unresponsive on the ground. He died later that evening.

In May 2018 it was announced that the cobbled section where he crashed would be renamed the "Secteur Pavé Michael Goolaerts" in his honour, and that his family would be invited to unveil a monument at the site of his fall the following month.

Major results As of April 2018 2012

8th Junior Tour of Flanders 2015 4th Paris–Chauny 2016 1st Stage 1 Tour du Loir-et-Cher 9th Nationale Sluitingprijs 2018 9th Dwars door West–Vlaanderen