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United States | Southeast | Virginia >> Belgian U23 rider Enzo Wouters collapsed at the Worlds in Doha

Belgian rider Enzo Wouters collapses at the Worlds in Doha

Wouters collapsed after racing for three and half hours in the U23 road race yesterday

According to Sporza, Wouters' core temperature rose to 40 degrees centigrade, the point where the body cannot cool itself and results in heatstroke or a coma.

Doctors reduced his temperature using ice and fluids.

"Immediately after the finish they poured water over me and placed ice on me, even though I was already shivering," Wouters joked. "Anyway, I can't remember anything that happened after the finish."

Wouters' teammate, Guillaume Seye, alerted medics who tended to him.

"During the race I felt myself becoming weaker. Especially in the final, I just noticed that I could no longer keep my heart rate down. Normally, you can always recover a bit after the turns, but now it did not."

The temperatures in Doha can rise in the day to temperatures that overseas athletes aren't accustomed to. There has been calls to hold the championships later in the year when it's cooler. The UCI indicated it would shorten races if the temperatures rose too much.

Some riders were critical of the race, after the women's team time trial on Sunday

Wouters has subsequently made a full recovery and is due to return to Belgium shortly.

Belgian rider Enzo Wouters collapses at the Worlds in Doha