Antoine Demoitie was tragically killed during a cycling race

BELGIAN cyclist Antoine Demoitie was killed during a race in tragic circumstances that should never have unfolded.

BELGIAN cyclist Antoine Demoitie died after he was struck by a motorbike following a fall during the Gent-Wevelgem race on Sunday (European time), police said.

Demoitie was transported to a hospital in Lille after the accident in Sainte-Marie-Cappel, northern France, but died some time later.

Some media outlets are reporting the 25-year-old was run over by a race motorcycle after falling from his bike, and while it did not cause his crash, the subsequent injuries he sustained may have been the result of the moto following the rider too closely.

“The rider died. An inquiry is under way to determine the circumstances,” said Frederic Evrard, spokesman for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional gendarmerie in France.

The cyclist’s Wanty team had earlier said Demoitie was in a “serious condition” in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“His wife and his family are at his side,” the team wrote on Twitter.

It is not the first time a race motorcycle has been involved in incidents resulting in rider injuries this season. Stig Broeckx broke his collarbone and a rib after being hit by one at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. That same weekend, BMC’s Danilo Wyss collided with a motorcycle at La Drome Classic.

Several others were also injured by race motos in 2015, with Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet and Jakob Fuglsang all coming off worse for wear after collisions in different events.

Executive producer of SBS Sport and cycling writer Stuart Randall urged race organisers to ensure a similar incident never occurs again, while two-time Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso said “sport should never come to this”.

The death of Antoine Demoitie is unforgivable. Race organisers have got to get a grip on this. Tragic.

— Stuart Randall (@SJR1978) March 28, 2016

R.I.P Antoine Demoitié . Horrible day . Sport should never come to this .

— ivanbasso (@ivanbasso) March 28, 2016

R.I.P. Antoine Demoitié. Sad day for cycling again. My thoughts are with his family and friends. 25 years old. #NotFair

— Johan Bruyneel (@JohanBruyneel) March 27, 2016

What started as a morning of exciting racing ends in an evening of tragedy and sorrow. RIP Antoine Demoitie.

— Brad Sohner (@bradsohner) March 27, 2016

The Gent-Wevelgem cobbled classic lived up to its gruelling reputation on Sunday, with riders battling strong winds as they tackled 10 climbs over a 243km route, including two ascents of the Kemmelberg.

Former Belgian national champion Jens Debusschere was also hospitalised after he sustained a concussion following a heavy crash, his Lotto-Soudal team said.

The race was won by Slovakia’s Peter Sagan.

Originally published as Antoine Demoitie was tragically killed during a cycling race