Heusden-Zolder (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Sint-Franciscus Hospital in Heusden-Zolder holds a World COPD Day cycling marathon with 52 Belgian hospitals; Marc Waters and Dr Ruud Van Puijenbroek support awareness and patient care.
As VRT News reported, patients and staff at Sint-Franciscus Hospital in Heusden-Zolder, in the province of Limburg, Belgium, are holding a cycling marathon today, Nov 19, 2025, for World COPD Day.
The event is part of a larger campaign in which 52 hospitals across Belgium compete to raise awareness about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Organisers say the campaign helps people better understand the disease and encourages support for those affected.
What are patients and staff doing at Sint-Franciscus to fight COPD?
Former professional cyclist Marc Waters visited the hospital to support participants. Waters, a former Tour de France stage winner who wore the yellow jersey, motivated patients and staff during the event.
“My grandfather had COPD, and cycling is naturally perfect for me. I didn’t hesitate to come and ride with him,”
Former cyclist Marc Wauters explains.
Patient Kris said she was very happy with the initiative and the cycling race. She added that knowing 52 hospitals are participating is a comforting thought and shows the strength of the community behind the campaign.
“There are so many people who suffer from COPD but don’t know it yet,”
she says.
“It’s great that the disease is getting more attention.”
“People don’t know the dangers of COPD.”
Jeanine, patient with COPD
Patient Jeanine says raising awareness about COPD is very important. She wants people to understand the daily struggles patients face and the seriousness of the disease.
“When I was younger, they told me to be careful with smoking, but no one knew what the consequences could be. If I’d known, I would have quit sooner.”
Pulmonologist Ruud Van Puijenbroek stresses the need for early detection of COPD. He explains that many patients have smoked for years before symptoms appear, causing irreversible lung damage by diagnosis.
“One of the most important treatment methods for COPD is ensuring you’re physically fit. That’s why we encourage patients to participate in cycling,”
explains Dr Van Puijenbroek.
The hospital combines awareness with care by introducing a new breathing technique. This method helps patients manage breathing difficulties and improve lung function.
“With this respiratory physiotherapy, patients learn to better control their breathing. We also teach patients to breathe correctly, as incorrect breathing can lead to shortness of breath and difficulty breathing,”
they say.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is a long-term lung disease often caused by smoking. The condition damages the
Comments
20 responses to “World COPD Day Cycling Event Hosted by Sint-Franciscus Heusden-Zolder”
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Because nothing says “let’s tackle a serious lung disease” quite like wheezing your way through a marathon on two wheels. 🚴♂️💨
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Oh, a cycling event for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “let’s tackle lung disease” quite like puffing away on a bike like it’s the Tour de France without a care in the world! 🚴♂️💨
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Oh joy, nothing says “let’s raise awareness for lung disease” like a cycling marathon—because clearly, the best cure for COPD is a good old-fashioned bike ride! 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Because nothing says “let’s fight a lung disease” like huffing and puffing on two wheels in circles! 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “let’s breathe better” quite like racing around with a lung disease 🤷♂️🚴♂️—what’s next, a marathon for asthma?
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Ah, nothing says “let’s raise awareness” quite like a bunch of hospitals racing on bikes – because who needs a quiet chat when you can pedal through your problems? 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing screams ‘let’s breathe easier’ like a marathon of wheezing competitors! 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “let’s tackle chronic lung issues” like a bunch of us puffing away on bikes—next, we’ll be organizing marathons for heart disease while munching on bacon sarnies! 🚴♂️🥓
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Cycling for COPD awareness, eh? Nothing screams “let’s raise awareness” quite like sweating it out while puffing like a steam train. 🚴♂️💨 Good luck to the 52 hospitals competing – may the best wheeze win! 😂
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Oh, a cycling event for COPD awareness? Because nothing says “let’s tackle a serious health issue” like a bunch of folks puffing away on bikes! 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “I care” like wheezing your way through a marathon while puffing like a chimney! 🚴♂️💨
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Quite the innovative way to raise awareness – who knew cycling could be the new cure for a lifetime of bad habits? 🚴♂️ Just what we need, a marathon to remind us we should’ve been on a bike instead of the couch all these years! 😂
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Seems like the best way to combat lung issues is to hop on a bike and pedal like you’re trying to escape the smoke-filled past, eh? 🚴♂️ Just what every COPD patient needs—a little cardio to go with their wheezing! 😂
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Cycling for COPD awareness, eh? Just what Belgium needed—a bunch of wheezing patients trying to outrun their own lungs! 🚴💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness, eh? Who knew wheezing could be such a popular pastime? 🚴♂️💨
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Oh, a cycling marathon for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “let’s tackle lung diseases” like puffing your way through a race while trying to catch your breath—who knew exercise could be so ironic? 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing screams “let’s tackle serious health issues” like a bunch of folks in Lycra pretending they’re training for the Tour de France while puffing like old steam engines. 🚴♂️💨
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Riding a bike to raise awareness for COPD? Brilliant! Nothing says “healthy lungs” like gasping for breath while pretending to enjoy a leisurely ride, eh? 😂🚴♂️
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Nothing says “let’s tackle serious health issues” like a race, especially when half the participants are probably out of breath just thinking about it! 🚴♂️💨
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Cycling for COPD awareness? Brilliant! Because nothing says “let’s fix our lungs” like huffing and puffing on a bike ride with 52 hospitals cheering you on. 🚴♂️💨
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