Frank Vandenbroucke is dead. The body of the Belgian cyclist, who was 34 years old, was found in a hotel room in the seaside resort of Saly in Senegal, at around 70 km from Dakar. The death was caused by pulmonary embolism, even if you do not yet know the causes that may have originated.

INSULIN and tranquilizers on the bedside table - next to the body of Vandenbroucke, on the bedside table, were found tranquilizers and insulin. According to AFP from an employee of the hotel, the cyclist was accompanied by a Senegalese woman. The two arrived together at two in the night between Sunday and Monday at La Maison Bleue. "When he arrived he was already drunk and wanted a beer - said the employee -. At about 4 am his girlfriend came to ask for a rag because she had vomited. He declined to give names and documents, the woman who was with him was recorded in its place. Up to 13 is not out of the room and 20 by the director called me warning me that he was dead. "

THE STORY OF HIM FRIEND - A Belgian RTBF television version confirmed by Fabio Polazzi, runner Vandenbroucke friend of 24 years they were together in Senegal. The two cyclists had arrived at 17 on Sunday, spent several hours in a restaurant, drank and then Vandenbroucke told his friend that he had an appointment with a girl. It was midnight, rebuilds Polazzi, and would have had to revise the next morning. Not seeing him fall, the friend tried to contact him to his two mobile phones, but without success. In the afternoon, the police asked him to recognize the clothes Vandenbroucke. The girl, interrogated by police, said the cyclist felt ill and fainted.

BRILLIANT CAREER - At the beginning of his career Vandenbroucke, grandson of former cyclist and sporting director Jean-Luc, was regarded by observers as one of the most talented cyclist of his generation. But after winning the Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 1999, went into a downward spiral of drugs and personal problems that kept him away from the great results. Winner of 55 races in a brilliant but troubled career in 2005 had attempted suicide after separating from his wife and daughter. "I went to look for the bottle (of wine) more expensive than my basement, a 1961 Chateau Petrus, and I toasted to my life. I asked advice from a doctor with insulin had to be over, "he wrote in his autobiography, published a year ago. Other times he tried to end it all, the last in June 2008. Recently he admitted that "was better", but they may claim to 'be out'. But just hours after his death, his uncle and his first sporting director, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, told the French sports daily L'Equipe to know "that Frank was not well, he was subject to ups and downs at the moral level. Feared such a denouement.

WANTED TO START AGAIN - In recent days, looking for a team for the 2010 season, Vandenbroucke had assured him of wanting to go racing again and still be able to win. At the last World Cup in late September, had appeared in good health, he had gone in Mendrisio, Switzerland, as a commentator for the media Belgians. Last week he announced plans to resume racing operations had asked to Aldo Sassi, coach of world champion Cadel Evans, of getting into shape. "I'm leaving for a vacation in Senegal until the end of October, I hope to find a new team," said a few days ago.