Tributes have poured in for Belgian rider Michael Goolaerts, who died after crashing in yesterday's Paris-Roubaix race ©Twitter

Tributes have come in from all parts of the cycling world for Michael Goolaerts, the 23-year-old Belgian rider who died yesterday after crashing in his first Paris-Roubaix race.

The Veranda's Willems-Crelan rider fell on the second set of cobbles in the one-day classic in northern France.

He suffered cardiac arrest and was airlifted to hospital in Lille but died at 9.40pm.

Goolaerts crashed 109 kilometres into the 257km race and was found unconscious by race doctors at the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour event.

Television footage appeared to show him receiving CPR treatment from medics at the side of the road.

David Lappartient, President of the UCI, said: "On behalf of the UCI and the cycling family as a whole, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family, team and loved ones of Michael Goolaerts, who left too early.

"We share their immense sadness."

Slovakia's world champion Peter Sagan, who earned his first Paris-Roubaix victory yesterday, tweeted: "All the thoughts and prayers of the Bora-Hansgrohe team and myself are with Michael Goolaerts.

"Such sad news."

Team Sky tweeted: "Everyone at Team Sky is heartbroken by the loss of Michael Goolaerts.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all at Veranda's Willems-Crelan."

Team Lotto-Soudal said it was "devastating news".

“Our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and team of Michael Goolaerts," they said.

Three-time Paris-Roubaix winner Fabian Cancellara tweeted: "Terrible news.

"RIP Michael Goolaerts.

“My deep condolences go to his family, friends, team-mates and the Veranda's Willems-Crelan crew."

Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador commented: "My deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Michael Goolaerts, since the end of the race I have not stopped thinking about him."

Quick-Step Floors tweeted: "Our thoughts go to the family, friends and team of Michael Goolaerts in these unimaginable moments of sadness.

"May he rest in peace."

Veranda's Willems-Crelan tweeted a statement today saying that its riders would be taking part in Wednesday's (April 11) De Brabantse Pijl Flanders Classic.

"After careful consideration with the family of Michael and our riders, we decided that we will be at the start of  @DeBrabantsePijl this Wednesday 11/4," the said.

"We will ride #BP18 with Michael in our hearts."



Goolaerts was in his fourth season - in two spells - with the Belgian outfit.

He spent 2013 and 2014 with them at continental level, and returned in 2017 after a season as a trainee with Belgian World Tour team Lotto-Soudal, when he won the opening stage of the 2016 Tour du Loir-et-Cher on the UCI Europe Tour.

He rode several of the cobbled classics and semi-classics this season, finishing ninth at Dwars door West-Vlaanderen and 20th at both Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Driedaagse De Panne.

Goolaerts was riding his first senior Paris-Roubaix, having competed in the under-23 edition in 2015.

Paris-Roubaix, which is known as the "Hell of the North", is regarded as one of the toughest races in cycling, featuring 29 cobbled sections.

The event is one of the five "Monuments" of the season - the most prestigious one-day races.

Britain's James Shaw, a former team-mate of Goolaerts, told the BBC's Radio 5 Live: "He's a great loss to cycling."

Shaw rode with Goolaerts for the Lotto-Soudal under-23 team in 2015 and both were trainees with the Belgian outfit's senior team in 2016.

"He was a cracking person, always the one to break the silence with a smile, always the one to laugh if it ever went quiet at the dinner table," Shaw added.

"He was one of the most pleasant people to be around I'd ever met."