Cyclists Stan Dewulf and Florian Vermeersch honor kidney patients Maria Middelares for their 'Tour de dialysis'

During the Tour de France 2024, patients at the haemodialysis service of vzw Maria Middelares (AZ Maria Middelares, AZ Sint-Vincentius Deinze and Medical Centre in Gentbrugge) were able to take on a sporting challenge: the Tour de dialysis. In the process, they cycled almost 4 300 kilometres on specially designed bicycles sponsored by vzw Scharnier.

Two top cycling talents, Stan Dewulf and Florian Vermeersch, stopped by on 23 August to pay tribute to the participating patients: "It touches us to see how these patients, like the pros, ride their own Tour de France".

Top performance

Artificial kidney patients spend a lot of time in hospital. They visit three times a week for their treatment, which lasts an average of four hours. During the Tour de France, many sporty patients spent this dialysis treatment cycling.

Although the participating patients obviously did not actually ride time trials and climb cols, they still pedalled a solid number of kilometres during the treatment. This was done on specially designed bikes, which are mounted on the dialysis chair or bed. Vzw Scharnier sponsored five of the latest models. Cycling Vlaanderen sponsored drinking bottles and scarves.

Every day, nurses meticulously recorded the number of kilometres covered by patients. The IT service ensured that patients and visitors could follow the cyclists' performance via a screen.

The aim of this Tour de dialysis is to highlight the importance of exercise for our kidney patients. After all, exercise means better blood flow, leading to fewer complications during treatment. The often younger patients waiting for a new kidney also need to be in good shape for their transplant. Hopefully, the 'runners' got the hang of it, and will keep moving, even during their dialysis treatment.

The Tour de dialysis took place in collaboration with vzw Scharnier, an association of and for kidney patients.