Autopsy reveals no alcohol in Vandenbroucke's system

A photo taken inside the La maison bleue room where Frank Vandenbroucke was found dead on Monday.

A photo taken inside the La maison bleue room where Frank Vandenbroucke was found dead on Monday. (Image credit: AFP Photo)

The autopsy performed on Frank Vandenbroucke found no traces of alcohol in his system, Sporza.be reported Thursday. The Belgian rider died early Monday in Saly, Senegal of a suspected pulmonary embolism.

The post-mortem was performed in Dakar, but the laboratory there does not have the proper equipment to perform the toxicology studies needed to find out if drugs were involved in causing Vandenbroucke's death, a doctor of the Aristide Le Dantec hospital said. Those investigations would have to take place at a laboratory in Europe, possibly France.

L'Equipe reported earlier this week that several drugs were found near the bed where Vandenbroucke was found, including sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and insulin.

Dr. Isidore Boye said that he was not sure when the body could be repatriated to Belgium, as the Senegalese authorities are continuing to investigate his death.