Former Soudal-QuickStep CEO Patrick Lefevere was taken to hospital on Wednesday evening after falling ill while having dinner at a restaurant.
The 70-year-old, who ran the QuickStep team from its foundation in 2003 until the end of last season, was taken to Gent University Hospital where he spent the night, according to a report by La Derniere Heure.
Lefevere, who recently attended Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with Soudal-QuickStep, remained conscious during the incident and was taken to the hospital’s intensive care unit.
No further information was given on Lefevere’s condition. La Derniere Heure reported that he “felt tired this morning” and will undergo further examinations on Thursday to determine the nature of his illness.
On Thursday morning, Het Nieuwsblad reported that Lefevere has now been taken home having possibly suffered from a drop in blood pressure.
Lefevere stepped down from his team manager role at QuickStep last December, ending a five-decade career in cycling that began as a professional racer in the late 1970s. Following a short racing career that saw him win Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and a stage of the Vuelta a España, he turned to a new role as a directeur sportif with teams including Lotto, TVM, MG-GB, and Mapei.
He became manager at Mapei in 1999 and continued in the role when QuickStep was formed in 2003. Lefevere was a driving force behind the team, which has often been the most successful in the sport over the years.
After leaving his role at QuickStep, he was succeeded by Jurgen Foré, a partner at consulting firm Deloitte and the son of 1963 Tour of Flanders winner Noël Foré.
