two-year-old Belgian racing pigeon called New Kim set a world record of 1.6 million euros ($1.89 million) at an auction that ended on Sunday Offers for the pigeon had already hit 1.32 million euros in the past week surpassing the previous record of 1.252 million euros set in March 2019 for another Belgian pigeon They then raced even higher in a frantic last 30 minutes of bidding on Sunday "These record prices are unbelievable Usually a male is worth more than a female because it can produce more offspring," Nikolaas Gyselbrecht CEO and founder of Pipa told Reuters Television Gyselbrecht said New Kim was only two years old and only raced in 2018 earning the title of best young bird in Belgium and prompting an early retirement Pigeons can typically breed until 10 so New Kim has many years of chicks ahead but rose to a bid of 1.31 million euros from a South African group within 90 minutes Two wealthy Chinese collectors then fought it out on Sunday Read also: Million-dollar birdie: Belgian pigeon smashes price record "The only thing I can see is we are in total shock," said Kurt Van de Wouwer Chinese enthusiasm for long-distance racing of homing pigeons has driven prices up sharply with birds from the traditional heartland of the sport in Belgium being particularly prized Gyselbrecht said no other country had such a high concentration of pigeon enthusiasts as Belgium "So you have 20,000 pigeon fanciers in a very small country competing with each other on a very high level It's like the Champions League," he said referring to European soccer's elite club competition.  Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small or large—find what’s most comfortable for you Lambrecht's Lotto-Soudal team-mates attended the service in his home town among family and friends Hundreds of people turned out on Tuesday in the Belgian town of Knesselare to pay tribute to the late Bjorg Lambrecht During the crash he collided with a concrete culvert on the side of the road and with Lambrecht one of the most highly rated young riders in the pro peloton This year he began to show that formidable talent taking top-10s in De Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race as well as fourth at La Flèche Wallonne and winning the youth classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné Lambrecht's funeral service took place at the Saint Willibrord church at 11am though hundred had already gathered hours before the ceremony to pay tribute The service was broadcast on a screen outside the church for those outside Among those in the church were many of the Lotto-Soudal riders and staff Jelle Vanendert and Victor Campenaerts were among those who carried Lambrecht's casket into the church while the likes of Caleb Ewan and team manager Marc Sergeant were also in attendance Both of Lambrecht's parents spoke during the two-and-a-half hour service "It will take a long time before this is processed," Marc Sergeant told Sporza outside of the church you know you're finally going to say goodbye to a 22-year-old talented cyclist Bjorg was only at the beginning of his career and didn't get a second chance It will take a very long time before we have processed it Anyway Bjorg continues to be with us in the team forever Tom Van Damme also paid his respects to Lambrecht and said it was another tragic loss after the fatalities of other young Belgian riders in recent years Antoine Demoitié, Daan Myngheer Michael Goolaerts and Stef Loos are among the riders that have died since 2016 "My thoughts are mainly with the family and the parents who have lost their son," Van Damme said "We are also losing a lot of cycling talent In Belgium we have recently lost several riders Riders and organisations paid tribute again to Lambrecht on Tuesday across social media The fourth stage of the Tour of Poland last week was neutralised in honour of Lambrecht with silences held at football matches in Belgium over the weekend the European Championships men's road race on Sunday and at the start of the BinckBank Tour on Monday Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news. An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course). team-mates and fans pay last respects to Bjorg LambrechtRelatives friends and fans mourned Bjorg Lambrecht in his funeral on Tuesday a week after the 22-year-old Belgian died while taking part in the Tour of Poland.The coffin of Bjorg Lambrecht is carried in St Willibrorduskerk towards the end of his funeral in Knesselare Bjorg Lambrecht dies after Tour of Poland crash Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.Watch on SBS SportSport News teammates and hundreds of cycling fans gathered at the church of Saint Willibrordus in Knesselare on Tuesday for the funeral of young Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht who died during last week's Tour of Poland The 22-year-old crashed on the third stage of the race after losing control of his bike and colliding with a concrete bridge over a ditch The cycling world was led at the funeral by Lambrecht's Lotto-Soudal teammates and team manager Marc Sergeant German sprinter Andre Greipel was also present A giant screen on the wall of the church showed black and white photos of Lambrecht and a Lotto cycling jersey was placed on the coffin Lambrecht was one of Belgium's great cycling hopes He won the Under 23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege and finished second in the Tour de l'Avenir in 2017 behind this year's Tour de France winner Egan Bernal before turning professional last year with Lotto-Soudal This year he placed 12th at the Criterium du Dauphine fourth in La Fleche Wallonne and sixth at the Amstel Gold Race.