Jonas Vingegaard, champion of the Tour de France and the two stars Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic were involved in a dramatic fall in the Tour of the Basque Country.
Jonas Vingegaard lay motionless on the ground next to a concrete ditch for minutes before being stretchered into an ambulance. A few meters away, Remco Evenepoel was holding his collarbone and Primoz Roglic was limping along the asphalt with his face contorted by pain. In a dramatic crash on the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Thursday, the three cycling stars, who want to fight for overall victory in the Tour de France in July, and other riders apparently suffered serious injuries.
Vingegaard is said to be conscious
Photographs of Tour champion Vingegaard caused the most concern. He Danish On the right curve he rushed into the ditch almost without braking. Vingegaard is on his way to the hospital, his Visma team said. Initially there was no more detailed information about the severity of the injuries. According to sporting director Frans Maassen, Vingegaard is conscious.
Evenepoel was also taken to the hospital. He Belgian The world time trial champion initially maneuvered skillfully around the ditch, but then fell to the grass. Giro winner Roglic, who was wearing the yellow jersey, was at least able to leave the scene of the accident in the car of the German team Bora-hansgrohe. He gave a thumbs up when he left. The Slovenian was only involved in one fall on Wednesday.
A dozen drivers involved in an accident
The crash occurred about 35 kilometers from the finish line in Legutio, on a right-hand curve. Natnael Tesfatsion was the first driver to leave Eritrea he escaped, after which about a dozen other cyclists fell. In addition to Vingegaard, Australian Jay Vine also had it worse. The professional cyclist was conscious, his United Arab Emirates team said. Several ambulances went to the scene of the accident. The race was then neutralized and the remaining drivers headed towards the finish line at a slow pace.
Many drivers use the Tour of the Basque Country as preparation for the summer grand tours. Of the best Tour riders in the world, only two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogacar was not at the start.
Cycling was once again overshadowed by a serious fall just a week after the serious fall of Belgian star Wout van Aert. The Belgian suffered several rib and collarbone fractures in the Across Flanders semi-classic at the end of March. Van Aert will be out for weeks.
Furthermore, a training accident suffered by German hopeful Lennard Kämna on Wednesday in Tenerife shocked the German team Bora. The 27-year-old driver from Bremen suffered numerous injuries, but is stable, according to his team. “He is awake, receptive and able to communicate. (…) He is receiving very good care in the Tenerife hospital and will be monitored in the intensive care unit in the coming days. The family members and team are with him,” he said. According to the German racing team, a vehicle coming from the opposite direction gave way to Kämna when turning.