27 February 2014
IAM Cycling
Family, friends and a delegation of 40 people from IAM Cycling, led by Michel Thétaz, the founder and General Manager of the team, took their leave of Kristof Goddaert this morning at the St. Paul’s Church (Sint Pauluskerk) in Antwerp.
Moved to tears, everyone present did their best to use the occasion to remember all the happy times they had spent with Kristof before he was snatched from life too soon in a terrible accident while he was out training on Tuesday, February 18th. The emotional ceremony was a worthy way to say good-bye to Kristof in the company of the priest, Kristof’s mother, sister and countless admires and friends, all of whom emphasized his qualities and his love of life.
IAM Cycling’s road captain Martin Elmiger has spent the past four years as Kristof Goddaert’s teammate, first on AG2R-La Mondiale and then on IAM Cycling. He spoke of his teammate’s unlimited enthusiasm and high values.
He was the perfect example of how to live life to the maximum and to make the best out of every situation. He didnt miss out on anything. Nobody saw his destiny, and thats why it is so hard to understand. The only thing we can do is accept it and let him go with love.
Those present universally admitted that they were lucky to have known him, after which they left the church to accompany Kristof Goddaert to his final resting place while the skies unleashed a torrent of rain, wind and cold – seemingly a sign that the heavens had also decided to pay a last homage to Kristof, who had so loved his life on the roads.
As is so often the case with professional cyclists, his list of results does not accurately reflect his influence and contributions. An unabashed team player, he would give everything of himself to help the team succeed. Amiable, even a joker, off the bike, Kristof took his job very seriously and worked diligently to make a name for himself in the bunch and to make a living through his passion.
He could be the life and soul of the group when things were not going according to plans. His teammates and friends knew that it was exactly this unrelenting drive that made him such a valuable addition to the team.
Nevertheless, in the face of such a human tragedy, the sporting factors fall by the wayside, and everyone can only hope and pray that his family, his friends and his teammates will find some peace and solace in the knowledge that he was so well loved in his too short life.
