Vanmarcke's heart issues worse than expected: "I am not allowed to participate in sport now, maybe even permanently"

Sep Vanmarcke quit cycling last year after he was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia. He moved to the team leader position at Israel-Premier Tech, but after a year, he said goodbye to that role as well: he wanted to spend more time with his family. Now, the Belgian talks openly to Het Nieuwsblad about his condition and how it affected him.

As a team leader, Vanmarcke never really felt quite in place. "I had doubts all season," he says. "After I was forced to stop racing last summer, I started quickly as team leader. And I immediately felt that this was something that suited me. I am good with people; I have much experience and can work out and discuss tactics. But it also felt wrong. Partly because I had to stop racing myself."

In addition, his health also played a role in his decision. "At the end of September, a year after I had to stop racing, I had to undergo new heart tests. They noticed atrial fibrillation (cardiac arrhythmia in which the heart starts beating irregularly, ed.). It was the third problem in my heart they discovered after cardiac arrhythmia and scar tissue. Two weeks ago, I had to undergo surgery for that, and during that procedure, they discovered other problems. As a result, further tests are now pending."

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"First, I was a top athlete, now I'm not allowed to exercise anymore"

"Even before these new health problems, I was already indecisive about quitting as a team leader, but it was a trigger for me to make the decision," says the 36-year-old former cyclist. His heart problems have turned life completely upside down. "I cannot participate in sport for now, maybe even permanently. That's very difficult. First, I was a top athlete. Next, I wasn't allowed to ride a bike, and now, I'm not even allowed to participate in sports. That's like when they tape a journalist's mouth shut and chop their hands off."

As a former top athlete, I find it very difficult to switch gears from being fully engaged in cycling every day to not being allowed to exercise. "But I must say: I'm dealing with it well now. However, I am now a bit 'on hold' because I am waiting for further tests. Mentally, it's not easy to deal with, but when I was told that there were new problems and that I was no longer allowed to participate in sports, I thought I would be even worse off mentally."

The first blow, quitting cycling, hit Vanmarcke harder. "This is a difficult sequel added to the whole situation, but I have been fighting that battle in my head for a year and a half. I don't feel like going through such a long process again. So, I must accept it, adapt, and see what I can do. Occasionally, it is still difficult to turn the switch. At a moment of weakness, I think I have been given a life sentence for what I enjoyed doing. At a more positive moment, I think I can still do a lot and ride an electric bicycle. I want to be positive and not feel the whole thing burdens me."

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