A Dutch cyclist, riding for the Terrengganu team in Malaysia, has escaped death twice after being scheduled to fly on both doomed Malaysian Airline flights but changing his plans at the last minute.

Maarten de Jonge, 29, born in the Dutch town of Oldenzaal according to his website, was planning to travel back to Kuala Lumpur on flight MH17 from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on July 17 after visiting his home country to participate in national championships. He decided to swap flights as traveling via Frankfurt on Sunday would save him some money, he told local broadcaster RTV Oost.

Lucy escape: Cyclist Maarten de Jonge. Credit:Twitter

That decision meant he was not among 298 people, of which at least 189 Dutch citizens, killed as the jetliner was downed over Ukraine.

Months earlier, in March, he took another Malaysian Air flight out of Kuala Lumpur, at the same time and in the same direction as a Boeing Co. 777 wide-body airliner taking off for Beijing. That plane has been missing without trace ever since, with no debris found despite the longest search mission in civil aviation.