“The rider died. An inquiry is underway to determine the circumstances,” Frederic Evrard, spokesman for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional gendarmerie in France, told Agence France Presse.
MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2016
Demoitie, a rider for Team Wanty-Groupe Gobert, crashed near Sainte-Marie-Cappel in the French area of Flanders. As he rose to re-mount, he and a pace motorcycle collided.
Demoitie was rushed to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Lillie but later died.
The 243-kilometer Gent-Wevelgem is regarded as an especially grueling race across Northern France. Another Belgian rider, Jens Debusschere, also was hospitalized Sunday after he suffered a concussion during a crash.
Omnisport’s David Manuca contributed to this report.
