Stive Vermaut

Stive Vermaut (22 October 1975 – 30 June 2004) was a Belgian cyclist.

Cycling career
Vermaut was born in Ostend. He turned professional in 1998 with the team, after riding with them as a stagiaire the previous year. In 1999, he won a stage of the Circuit des Mines and placed sixth in the Circuito Montañés and Cholet-Pays de Loire, ninth in the Tour de l'Avenir, and tenth in the Grand Prix de Wallonie and the Deutschland Tour. In 2000, he joined the American team, led by Belgian Johan Bruyneel. In 2001, he joined the Belgian team. He participated in the Tour de France, where he finished 36th overall.

With heart problems early in the 2002 season, he was forced to stop cycling. Medical examinations revealed that he suffered from tachyarrhythmia and the right part of his heart was overdeveloped. The team's doctor declared him unfit to ride. In July, Vermaut received word from another doctor that he was fit to ride again. He joined Palmans–Collstrop for the remainder of the season, but ended his career at the end, as new problems were arising.

Death
In June 2004, Vermaut was transported unconscious to Roeselare Hospital following a heart attack. He died there a few days later of a brain haemorrhage.

Major results

 * 1996
 * 1st De Drie Zustersteden


 * 1997
 * 3rd Overall Volta a Lleida
 * 1st Stage 1


 * 1999
 * 1st Stage 8 Circuit des Mines
 * 6th Overall Circuito Montañés
 * 6th Cholet-Pays de Loire
 * 9th Overall Tour de l'Avenir
 * 1st Mountains Classification
 * 10th Overall Deutschland Tour
 * 10th Grand Prix de Wallonie