Hundreds gather to pay last respects to Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht

Hundreds gather to pay last respects to Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht
Hundreds gathered at the funeral of the young Belgian cyclist. Credit: © Belga

Bjorg Lambrecht's funeral, held on Tuesday at the church of St. Willibrordus in Knesselare, located in Eastern Flanders near Bruges, saw his family, friends and sympathisers pay their last respects.

The cyclist from the Lotto Soudal team, aged 22, tragically lost his life a week ago along the Tour of Poland route.

Alongside Lambrecht's parents, friends and family members were his fellow Lotto Soudal team members. The church was far too small to accommodate all those wishing to demonstrate their expressions of sympathy. A large screen in the village square was therefore installed to allow the ceremony to be seen. Several hundred people were in attendance.

"We have lost a great talent in Belgian sport," Tom Van Damm, the president of the Belgian Cycling League regretted. "But today, all my thoughts are with the family and relatives who have lost a son. We have lost several cyclists in Belgium recently. Fate was particularly cruel to Bjorg. If he had fallen a metre farther, he would still be with us."

The cyclist's body was repatriated from Poland to rest at the Knesselare funeral parlour over the weekend. Many flags and white balloons were on display in the village. Teddy bears bearing the message "RIP Bjorg" were visible in several places. The cremation followed the strictly private ceremony.

The Brussels Times


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