Cofidis’s Wesley Kreder has heart attack, future racing uncertain
Dutch rider to sit out rest of season
Photo by: SirottiPro cyclist Wesley Kreder experienced a heart attack, his Cofidis team announced on Wednesday. The Dutch rider will not participate in any races for the remainder of this season, and the possibility of his return to racing remains uncertain.
The heart attack occurred during the night of August 28-29, with Kreder receiving immediate care from his wife and family before being transported to the hospital. He remained hospitalized for over a week and was subsequently diagnosed with myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscles. Kreder returned home last Wednesday after receiving treatment.
A history of professional cyclists who died from heart attacks
Woke up in hospital
“I went to bed as normal on August 28 and the next day I woke up in hospital. It was really strange to find myself there, wondering what had happened and why it had come to this,ā Kreder said in a statement from Cofidis. āI stayed in hospital for several days, undergoing a series of tests and recovering well before going home. Now I feel fine, it’s hard to believe that I had a heart attack a fortnight ago. I’ve started walking outside, I’m still resting and looking after my two children.ā
Notre coureur, @wesleykreder a Ć©tĆ© victime d’un accident cardiaque dans la nuit du 28 au 29 aoĆ»t. On vous donne des nouvelles ā¤µļøhttps://t.co/dprcbcdx1E
Remets-toi vite Wesley !
šø @MathildeLAzou pic.twitter.com/TJDu5gkMNLā Team Cofidis (@TeamCOFIDIS) September 13, 2023
His team also announced that the 32-year-old will not race again in 2023. Itās unclear as well if he will be able to race again, at all.
Only thinking about present
āThe doctors haven’t said that I can’t ride a bike again, and I hope to be able to do so in one or two weeks’ time. However, it’s too early to talk about the future,ā Kreder said. āRight now it’s not time to look ahead, but to recover and enjoy life. I’m so happy to be alive!ā
Kreder began racing at the Continental level in 2009, before joining the WorldTour with the Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team in 2013. He has three UCI wins to his name, and has raced the Giro dāItalia twice, and the Vuelta a EspaƱa once.