The terrifying fall that scared world cycling: Vingegaard, two-time Tour de France champion, left on a stretcher and on oxygen

Disaster and panic have unexpectedly taken over the world Cycling. This Thursday, in the fourth stage of the Return to the Basque Country which flowed normally from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio, there was a a terrible fall killed 12 runners scattered along the route on the descent towards Olaeta, 33 kilometers from the finish. Among them were the favorites, the leader Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel AND Jonas Vingegaardcurrent two-time champion of Tour of France and that he had to be taken by ambulance to hospital.

The Visma team rider retired with an average of oxygen mask and neck brace. An hour after the incident, Visma reported in a statement that Jonas was “conscious and was about to undergo further checks in hospital”.

The accident occurred on a right curve, during the descent of an unmarked pass, Olaeta, where the platoon was flying in search of 6 fleeing men. Several riders went off the track, Vingegaard fell to the ground, Evenepoel grazed a large tree, while others crashed into a concrete ditch. Exceptional.

The images of the official broadcast were of a war scenario. Evenepoel put a hand on his shoulder, Roglic, sitting, seemed the least damaged, and Vingegaard, motionless, lying on his side, stopping the breathing of everyone who witnessed the scene.

The doctors intervened immediately. There were few doctors, few ambulances for so many wounded. So the race had to be neutralized. The first measure was to move the stage to the town of Eskoriatza and then the decision was to suspend it for the group, with the exception of the 6 who fled at the time of the fall.

With my heart in my hands, especially due to the worrying state of Vingegaard, immobile, the site of the fall represented a real battlefield. There were many favorites in the accident, but bad luck also struck riders such as Jay Vine (UAE), who was also evacuated by ambulance, Natnael Tesfatsion (Lidl-Trek), Markel Beloki (EF Education), Sean Quinn (EF) and Steff Cras (Total Energy).

Only the fugitives contested the partial victory and understood each other. The fastest was the South African Louis Meintjes (Intermarché – Wanty), who also raised his arms alone.

The Itzulia – as the Vuelta of the Basque Country is called – was left orphaned of its protagonists, a hard blow for the event in a final phase that was exciting with the general classification tight in a matter of seconds.

Danish Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl Trek), who started third overall, became the new leader after the elimination of Roglic and Evenepoel. Juan Ayuso, who “saved” the fall, follows him at 4 seconds.

This Friday the fifth stage will take place between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Amorebieta-Etxano, with a distance of 175.9 km.