Dimitri De Fauw

Who was Dimitri De Fauw?

Dimitri De Fauw was a Belgian professional road and track bicycle racer. He was born in Ghent.

De Fauw competed on both the road and track but is best known for his terrible crash during the 2006 Six Days of Ghent.

On 26 November, De Fauw collided with Spanish cyclist Isaac Gálvez during the madison portion of the Six Days of Ghent cycling event in Belgium. Both riders fell, though Gálvez crashed into the track's upper railing and was knocked unconscious. While medics resuscitated him at the scene, the Spaniard died of his injuries en route to hospital.

Despite continuing to race as a professional, De Fauw suffered from ongoing depression in the aftermath of Gálvez's death and was haunted by the accident. In an interview the following month, the 25-year-old De Fauw said, "I will carry this with me for the rest of my life. Only time can heal my wounds."

De Fauw committed suicide on 6 November 2009 in Belgium, shortly after competing in the Six Days of Grenoble.