BRUSSLES: Belgian cyclocross insider Victor Bruyndonx was recently arrested in the city of Heist-Goor on suspicion of having ties to the international cocaine trade. The news was reported on Sunday by Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
Bruyndonx, 77, hosted professional American cyclocross racers Amy Dombroski and Elle Anderson when both women went to Belgium for their respective European ‘cross campaigns. Anderson stayed with Bruyndox during her 2014-’15 campaign, while Dombrowski stayed with Bruyndonx on multiple occasions during her various European campaigns.
Dombroski was killed in a training accident in 2013. According to a story in Women’s Adventure Magazine, Bruyndonx helped Dombroski secure a spot on Belgium’s Telenet-Fidea professional cycling team for the 2013 season.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, Bruyndonx was reportedly arrested last Thursday at the request of the Italian financial police, which often target international drug traffickers. The story said Bruyndonx was nabbed after a two-year investigation, which began when Belgium’s federal police discovered cocaine imports arriving from the Dominican Republic.
Bruyndonx and Anderson had a falling out early in her 2014-’15 campaign, the details of which were reported in a recent VeloNews.com feature story on Anderson’s return to Belgian racing. According to Anderson, she accepted Bruyndonx’s offer to host her knowing of his positive influence on Dombroski. After several weeks together, however, Anderson says Bruyndonx became verbally abusive and physically threatening. She immediately ended her host stay with Bruyndonx.
