July 1, 2007 (Ypres, Belgium) — Belgian cyclist, Frank Vandenbroucke (Acqua & Sapon) has been admitted against his will to a psychiatric centre in Flanders reports AFP, citing an article that appeared on Friday in the Belgian daily, Het Laatste Nieuws. Vandenbroucke, 32, attempted suicide earlier this month near Milan, Italy, after his wife left him. A slow recovery from an injury is also preventing his participation in professional cycling events.

Vandenbroucke apparently presented himself with his father voluntarily to the centre, but then changed his mind once there resulting in him issuing threats to medical staff who then called the police. This led to authorities deciding that he was a danger to himself and to others and he was interned involuntarily.

Vandenbroucke, who began racing professionally in 1994 and his 1999 win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège is among his major accomplishments. One of the more colourful characters in the world of cycling, he has a reputation for “accidents, illnesses, doping allegations, lawsuits, suspicion, surliness and suspensions,” according to Wikipedia.

On one famous occasion, after being busted with erythropoietin (EPO), Vandenbroucke claimed that it was not for him, but rather for his dog.