The fall in the fourth stage of the Return to the Basque Country disputed yesterday between Echarri-Aranatz and Legutio, of 157 km, resulted in the retirement of the leader, Primoz Roglic, and two of its great rivals, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, who is having difficulty defending his Tour de France title due to a fractured collarbone and two ribs. No Colombians were affected.
Evenepoel broke his right clavicle and scapula, while Roglic was the luckiest, as he did not have any bone damage after the accident on a descent and 29 km from the finish line.
“It was a terrible fall, but fortunately he is stable and conscious. Tests at the hospital have revealed that he has a broken collarbone and several ribs. She remains under follow-up in the hospital,” indicated the Visma-Lease team, from Vingegaard.
Few days of the Tour
The three cyclists' maximum objective this year is to go for the Tour de France title, a test that will begin in two months and 24 days, the time they have to reach the point and to face another great rival. Tadej Pogacar, who will also do the Giro d'Italia.
The one who has it the most complicated is Vingegaard, who must have a much longer and more painful recovery.
Despite the severity of the injury, which now seriously compromises Vingegaard's program between now and the Tour, the diagnosis came with almost a feeling of relief due to how violent the fall was and the images of anguish that were experienced. It could have been worse and he got it cheap.
“We have to look at the issue of rib fractures. The clavicle thing is not so much of a problem today, but the other thing is. “That should give him about two months to get back into training shape and there are two and a few months left until the Tour.”The doctor of the Boyacá cycling teams told EL TIEMPO, Camilo Pardo.
And he added: “Recovery is not so easy, since the issue of breathing must be included, with therapies. Furthermore, the pain is very strong. He can make it to the Tour, but his preparation will be affected and it will not be known what condition he will be in.”
Pardo points out that Evenepoel does not have any problems with a view to the Tour, as he has time to recover from his clavicle and scapula, which are easier to treat today.
Vingegaard and Evenepoel will have to evaluate, according to their recovery times, their future in terms of racing.
The Belgian had in mind to be in the Ardennes classic and to be able to achieve a third consecutive victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 21), but it will not be possible.
Return to the Basque Country: the favorites after the accident.
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“Fortunately, he was conscious when we got to him. Jonas is now being examined in the hospital and we are waiting for results,” commented the sports director of the Visma/Lease team to Bike, Addy Engels.
Another runner, the Australian Jay Vine (UAE Emirates) He stayed on the ground for a long time before being treated and evacuated to a hospital, according to his team.
“He is conscious and can speak,” the UAE team said at first, before announcing “fractures in the cervical spine and two dorsal vertebrae.”
There was relief in this training when it was found that “there is no neurological complication or brain damage,” explained the doctor. Adriano Rotunno.
Once the accident occurred, the race was neutralized. The stewards decided that the cyclists who had escaped would compete for victory, that the lot would continue at its normal pace and that a winner of the day would be announced, without the times counting for the general classification.
Roglic's retirement forces a change of leadership, which was in
the power of Mattias Skjelmose.
this Friday, a 175-kilometer stage, between Vitoria and Amorebieta, with one top of the first category and two of the third.
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