Frans Assez, the manager of the Belgian continental team Flanders, has died suddenly, just a few days before his 59th birthday. Assez became ill at home after a ride on Tuesday, and passed out. He was unable to be revived.
Besides managing his team and the Flanders bike shop in Oudenaarde, Assez was also a professional rider between 1974 and 1981. He won just one race as a pro: in Sint-Martens-Lierde in 1974. His death came as a shock to many, and the team managers in the Four Days of Dunkirk held a minute's silence before their pre-race meeting yesterday evening.
