A 54-year-old woman was killed in a racing feedzone in Belgium on Sunday after a rider lost control of his bike in the wind.

The woman, who was the wife of former Tour de France stage winner Ludwig Wijnants, was struck by 18-year-old Jordi Van Dingenen at the Brustem-Sint-Truiden race.

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Van Dingenen was riding the race, which is for elite riders without a contract, for the Vastgoedservice – Golden Palace team, whose team leader, Roger Loysch, witnessed the incident.

“I stood on the side, along with Ludwig Wynants and his wife,” Loysch told Sporza. “At the front of the peloton Jordi wanted to give me his jacket. Then suddenly there was a very fierce gust of wind, and he lost control.”

“Van Dingenen rode right [into her] and the blow was quite fierce. She just wanted to provide her son Arne with a water bottle.”

Sporza reports that Ms Wijnants was taken to hospital and operated on immediately but later died of her injuries. Van Dingenen suffered a shoulder injury and concussion.