Memory of Michael Goolaerts lives on in a race of sustained brutality | Richard Williams

Belgian’s death at the Paris-Roubaix reminds us of the price that can be paid for our pleasure, but riders return each year to this fiendishly difficult race in an act of non-rational courage

The death of young Michael Goolaerts following a crash in the Paris‑Roubaix on Sunday reminds us of the price that can be paid for our pleasure. First held in 1896, which makes it seven years older than the Tour de France, Paris‑Roubaix has a reputation resting on the sustained brutality of the physical challenge it presents to those brave enough to take it on.

Related: Belgian cyclist Michael Goolaerts dies after cardiac arrest in Paris-Roubaix

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