Jonas Vingegaard, the reigning Tour de France champion, was involved in a horrific incident on Thursday during the Itzulia Basque Country stage.
The first of three peaks on the run-in to the finish was the Olaeta, which the peloton was descending. Additionally, many cyclists lost control of their bikes on a fast turn, crashing them into a storm drain by the side of the road.
The cameras immediately identified two-time defending champion Vingegaard, and Primoz Roglic, the head of Itzulia and one of the favorites to unseat Vingegaard in the summer, also suffered a setback.
Replays revealed that Remco Evenepoel, a favorite on the Tour, had fortunately avoided hitting the concrete by going over his handlebars. Evenepoel, holding onto his collarbone, and Roglic managed to make their way to ambulances on foot.
The paucity of medical vehicles for the remaining competitors rapidly put an end to the event while Vingegaard was being wheeled into the back of another ambulance.
Along with Sean Quinn, Jay Vine, and Alexander Cepeda, Nathanael Tesfatsion also fell. Vine looked to be the most severely injured, lying in the ditch without moving. His crew later reported on X that Jay was awake and communicating. We’ll provide an update following additional medical examinations.
It was anticipated that Evenepoel, Roglic, and Vingegaard will clash when the Tour de France departs Florence in June. Additionally, Itzulia was supposed to serve as a prelude to the three facing off sans Tadej Pogacar, the fourth favorite.
