Johan Museeuw scares his supporters with sudden message from hospital: "Everything's fantastic inside though"
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Johan Museeuw (60) was at the starting line of Boonen & Friends charity cyclocross just two weeks ago, sporting his iconic rainbow jersey. Although the Belgian legend was lapped by his faster rivals in the "former professional" category, it did not take anything from his good spirits on a Sunday evening in Mol. All the more shocking for his Instagram followers it was when on Tuesday afternoon, Museeuw shared a message from the hospital.
"Hi everyone, I'm not on my bike today, but I'm in the hospital," began The Lion of Flanders via his Instagram. "I've been having trouble breathing the last few weeks. I thought to myself: let me just get my heart checked."
Generally speaking, cardiovascular difficulties are less rare to come by as person ages. But the 1996 world champion could share great news that the condition of his most important muscle is as great as ever:
"This morning I went to the 'engine' and had it checked to make sure everything was okay. And everything's fantastic inside," he reassured.
While the results of examining are great in the long run, little answers were provided as to why was Museeuw struggling to breathe with ease recently. So what exactly is the problem?
Well, that still needs to be figured out, according to Museeuw. "We have to continue with the tests, but it's probably something with the lungs. Maybe a COVID residue, I don't know. It's definitely something with the respiratory tract. But it's certainly better than a problem with the 'engine,'" as he refers to his heart.
Then there are still things to be resolved, but Museeuw can also hope his issues will gradually disperse on their own.
"The lion's 'engine' is still perfectly fine, anyway. But I'm going to eat a sandwich now, because I'm hungry," he joked. "The lion is still here!"
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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