Belgian champion’s season in doubt after “heart rhythm irregularities” lead to medical procedure
Cyclocross
Belgian champion Marion Norbert Riberolle has undergone a procedure after medical investigations identified heart rhythm irregularities following setbacks in her opening cyclocross races. The Crelan-Corendon rider has no confirmed return date, although examinations found no other abnormalities and she has been cleared to gradually resume training after several days of rest.
The 27-year-old had attacked alone in Dendermonde on 11 October before fading and eventually abandoning. Four days later in Ardooie, she was still contesting a podium position into the final lap when she suddenly lost ground, finishing eighth.
Those performances prompted extensive medical examinations, Crelan-Corendon explained in its statement. “These revealed heart rhythm irregularities. Our Belgian champion has since undergone a procedure to address them.”
Norbert Riberolle had already withdrawn from the Berencross in Meulebeke on 17 October to allow more recovery. Before that race, she had been reported to have experienced illness symptoms ahead of Dendermonde, with additional rest scheduled after her difficulties continued in Ardooie.
Supervised training return after treatment
Crelan-Corendon has not specified the type of procedure performed. “Marion will now rest for a few days before gradually resuming training, under the supervision of our medical team,” it said. “A date for her return to competition has not yet been set.”
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The interruption comes a year after Norbert Riberolle won the Superprestige opener in Ruddervoorde, beating Sara Casasola and Amandine Fouquenet. She added victories at the Belgian Championships and Otegem in January during a 2025–26 campaign that brought fifth place overall in the Superprestige.
She also finished second in Ardooie, Lokeren, Kortrijk and Gullegem, then took podium places in Sint-Niklaas and Oostmalle in February. Her return to Ardooie this October ended in eighth after she had remained in the podium battle until the closing stages.
Born in Troyes, Norbert Riberolle won both the French elite championship and the under-23 world title in 2020 before obtaining Belgian nationality in 2021. Her first Belgian title came in 2025, following Sanne Cant’s run of 15 consecutive victories, and she retained the jersey in Beringen this January.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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