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ACCIDENT

German cyclists injured in Spanish accident

Six cyclists from German cycling team Giant-Alpecin were injured in a training accident when an English driver crashed into them in Benigembla near Alicante on Saturday.

Published: 24 January 2016 11:44 CET
German cyclists injured in Spanish accident
Team Giant Alpecin rider John Degenkolb of Germany was one of the cyclists injured. Photo: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP

John Degenkolb, Warren Barguil, Chad Haga, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam and Max Walscheid were all taken to hospital in Alicante and are said to be in a stable condition.

“During the training ride, a car coming the other direction rode into the group of riders head on. The riders were riding side by side on their own side of the road,” Giant-Alpecin said in a statement.

The English female driver of the car was on the wrong side of the road when the accident occurred according to the emergency services.

“Everyone on the team is in shock right now, and there are some major issues that we need to take care of, but we also realise that we have had some luck on our side,” said team physician Anko Boelens.

“Everyone is conscious, stable and approachable, but we are waiting for the latest information and consult the doctors in those hospitals about the treatments needed for the riders.”

One of the riders was reported as seriously injured, but his condition is not life threatening.

“The cyclist has functional injuries of a severe nature, but in principle they don't implicate any risk to life,” said a hospital source.

In 2012 Spanish cyclist Victor Cabedo was killed after being run over on a training run in Almedijar near Valencia.

 

CYCLING

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Published: 16 June 2023 12:54 CEST
Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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