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Itzulia crash update: Remco Evenepoel breaks collarbone, Roglic escapes fractures

A bad day in Basque country

Adam Hansen fires back at TV crews filming Jonas Vingegaard and others after crash
April 4, 2024
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Thursday’s racing at Itzulia Baque Country was neutralized when a dozen riders were involved in a scary crash as the race approached the finish line. Several pre-race favourites, including Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, were among those injured in the crash. Numerous riders sustained significant injuries as a result of the crash.

One of the scarier images that broadcasters showed, repeatedly, was of Jonas Vingegaard leaving the race on a stretcher via ambulance. Visma – Lease-a-Bike has since updated that the Tour de France champions injuries are not as serious as initially feared, though not great either.

Remco Evenepoel shared a video update via his Soudal Quick-Step team’s account. One of the pre-race favourites, Evenepoel will be out for at least a couple of months with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade. The Belgian is headed home for surgery but, in his update, says his long-term season goals remain intact without going into too much detail what that means yet.

Primoz Roglic, also caught up in the crash, left in the team car, not an ambulance. His Bora-Hansgrohe team added an update simply stating that the newly-signed star did not suffer any fractures in the fall, but added “heal up soon.” So presumably Roglic is feeling the cumulative effects after crashing the day before as well.

UAE Emirates’ Jay Vine is, so far, one of the worst off after the serious crash. The team shared an update from its Medical Director, Dr. Adriano Rotunno:

“Jay Vine suffered a heavy crash today during the race and sustained a cervical and two thoracic spine vertebral body fractures.Thankfully no neurological involvement, and there are no other major injuries or head trauma. Jay will stay in hospital for neurological observation. We await spinal orthopaedic assessment and further management.”

 

Of the many riders involved, Team TotalEnergies’ Staff Cras suffered some of the more serious injuries reported so far. The team reported that Cras is suffering from a right pneumothorax (air between the lung and the chest wall), several rib fractures and two dorsal vertebral fractures. The TotalEnergies rider is remains in hospital under observation.

EF Pro Cycling’s Sean Quinn looked to be one of the worst off in the crash, based off the live feed. The U.S. racer was one of several to leave in an ambulance. The team updated that Quinn has sustained a concussion and sternum fracture along with the expected scrapes and bruises.

Lidl-Trek’s Eritrean rider, Natnatel Tesfazion, suffered numerous cuts and bruises but appears to have escaped the crash without any broken bones. He has left the hospital, but the team is still concerned about injuries to his elbow sustained in the fall.