Gent public prosecutor comments on Gálvez crash

By Shane Stokes

Jean Soenen, the public prosecutor of Gent, has cleared the organisers of the six day race Isaac Gálvez was competing in, stating that they had no responsibility for his death.

He told the agency Belga that they had taken all the necessary safety measures, and noted that the accident took place during a sporting event and therefore is a civil case. Soenen's office stated that the accident happened after the rider and Belgian competitor Dimitri De Fauw collided at a speed of between 50 and 55 kilometres per hour, with Gálvez then hitting a railing around the outside of the track.

According to his findings, the impact ruptured several ribs which were pushed back against the heart, causing his death. An examination of his bicycle didn't show any mechanical failures that could have contributed to the accident.

The office of the public prosecutor has called in an expert to examine the images of a video of the accident, and has also asked any spectators who recorded it to contact the police in Gent.