Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 9:23 AM
Straight through Flanders 2024 was overshadowed by the heavy crash in the descent to the Kanarieberg. The damage suffered by Wout van Aert, Jasper Stuyven and Mads Pedersen is now known, but how are the other riders who have fallen?
The biggest victims of the crash are Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven. The first suffered no fewer than nine fractures (collarbone, sternum and seven ribs) in the fall. His compatriot Stuyven is suffering from a broken collarbone.
Another big name involved in the crash is Mads Pedersen. The Danish former world champion also remained on the ground for a while, but all in all the damage was not too bad. A medical check showed that the 28-year-old Lidl-Trek rider did not suffer any fractures or other serious injuries from the fall, although he does suffer from various bruises and abrasions.
There is less good news for Pedersen’s teammate, Alex Kirsch. The Luxembourger, who also showed himself in the past cobblestone classics, is suffering from a fracture in his metacarpal. Another rider who has been badly damaged: Michele Gazzoli. The Italian from Astana Qazaqstan is in the hospital with three broken ribs.
Alex Kirsch has been on a roll in recent weeks – photo: Cor Vos
Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny) and Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost) were also involved in the fall. Vermeersch complained about his back after the fall, but was able to ride his bike again and, according to him The newspapaer ‘only’ just abrasions on the buttock.
French classic specialist Turgis suffered superficial abrasions from the crash, while Van Moer suffered ‘significant abrasions and some bruises’. It is still unclear what happened to Sweeny.
Biniam Girmay hopes to reach the Tour of Flanders – photo: Cor Vos
Finally, Biniam Girmay was also one of the victims of the massive fall in Dwars door Vlaanderen. The Eritrean did not suffer any fractures, but was initially in bad shape. “The first scan has shown that he does not have a fracture,” sporting manager Aike Visbeek said CyclingFlits. “But we have to take a look, because he really took a hit on the ribs.”
“He fell hard. It seems to be not too bad, but it is now important how those ribs react in the coming days. We continue to have hope for the Tour of Flanders. It’s fifty-fifty, I think.”
