Stive Vermaut

Stive Vermaut (22 October 1975 – 30 June 2004) was a Belgian cyclist.

Cycling career Vermaut was born in Ostend. He turned professional in 1998 with the team , after riding with them as a stagiaire the previous year. In 1999, he won a stage of the Circuit des Mines and placed sixth in the Circuito Montañés and Cholet-Pays de Loire, ninth in the Tour de l'Avenir, and tenth in the Grand Prix de Wallonie and the Deutschland Tour. In 2000, he joined the American team , led by Belgian Johan Bruyneel. In 2001, he joined the Belgian team . He participated in the Tour de France, where he finished 36th overall.

With heart problems early in the 2002 season, he was forced to stop cycling. Medical examinations revealed that he suffered from tachyarrhythmia and the right part of his heart was overdeveloped. The team's doctor declared him unfit to ride. In July, Vermaut received word from another doctor that he was fit to ride again. He joined Palmans–Collstrop for the remainder of the season, but ended his career at the end, as new problems were arising.

Death In June 2004, Vermaut was transported unconscious to Roeselare Hospital following a heart attack. He died there a few days later of a brain haemorrhage.

The Omloop van de Westhoek was renamed Omloop van de Westhoek-Memorial Stive Vermaut later that year.

Major results Source:

1996 1st De Drie Zustersteden 1st Stage 5 Tour de Namur 2nd La Flèche Namuroise 1997 3rd Overall Volta a Lleida 1st Stage 1 1st Stage 6 Tour de Namur 3rd Mémorial Danny Jonckheere 8th Seraing–Aachen–Seraing 1998 7th GP du Nord Pas de Calais 8th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 1999 1st Stage 8 Circuit des Mines 2nd La Flèche Namuroise 6th Egmont Cycling Race 6th Overall Circuito Montañés 6th Cholet-Pays de Loire 9th Overall Tour de l'Avenir 1st Mountains Classification 10th Overall Deutschland Tour 10th Grand Prix de Wallonie 2001 National Road Championships 7th Individual Time trial 10th Road race 7th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton 2002 9th Grand Prix d'Isbergues 10th Overall Tour de Langkawi