Vermeersch is Dekker's lifesaver during stage in Spain: "I woke up in the ambulance"

During a bike ride together near Javéa, a coastal town near Valencia, Belgian cyclist Florian Vermeersch acted quickly and effectively to help former cyclist Thomas Dekker after suffering a severe sugar drop. Dekker, who has been struggling with a risk of glucose dips for years, lost consciousness, toppled from his bike, and was briefly knocked out.

Dekker shared the incident on Instagram. "After a coffee stop, I suffered a dangerous glycogen dip. I woke up in an ambulance. I don't remember much about it, but I fell on my head and was knocked out. Fortunately, Florian acted quickly and took me home by car, which was not far away."

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Thomas Dekker as a cyclist

A glucose dip, a sudden drop in blood sugar, can occur after a blood sugar spike, such as from consuming sugar during a coffee break. This happened to 40-year-old Dekker, anyway. He doesn't even remember much of it, by the way. "I woke up in the ambulance."

Florian Vermeersch, who transferred from Lotto Dstny to UAE Team Emirates this winter, was a lifesaver. Thanks to his quick intervention, Dekker got home safely, and worse could be avoided. According to Dekker, the incident reminds us of the risks involved in fluctuations in blood sugar levels. "It was a bit of a scare for everyone," Dekker concludes. "Coffee stops are just not good for me," he can add with a wink.

By the way, it was not Dekker's first bizarre adventure abroad this year. In June, he and Laurens Ten Dam ended up in an American prison.  

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