Steff Cras has recounted his expertise of the mass crash that blighted final week’s Itzulia Basque Country, telling La Dernière Heure that he had “a brush with demise” within the incident.
The Belgian suffered a collapsed lung, damaged ribs and two fractured vertebrae when he was among the many many fallers on the descent from Olaeta with 35km remaining on stage 4. Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič additionally sustained accidents in the identical crash.
Cras spent 4 nights in hospital in San Sebastian earlier than returning to Belgium on Monday. The TotalEnergies rider was because of bear additional evaluation in Herentals on Tuesday.
“I used to be scared to demise as a result of I could not breathe for thirty seconds,” Cras instructed La Dernière Heure. “I solely had one functioning lung.
“I had a brush with demise. I realised after I noticed the concrete block [at the side of the road] that I’d have been useless if I’d fallen 20cm additional away. Honestly, I used to be very fortunate.”
Cras remained hopeful that he would have the ability to return to competitors in time for the Tour de France. He was pressured to desert final 12 months’s Tour when he crashed after a spectator stepped into the street on stage 8. He recovered in time to trip the Vuelta a España, the place he positioned eleventh total.
On Tuesday, Visma-Lease A Bike said that Vingegaard had undergone profitable surgical procedure on his damaged collarbone after the Itzulia crash, although the Dane reportedly stays in hospital in Vitoria. His Tour de France defence is doubtful, with Visma acknowledging that it’s “not but clear” how lengthy his restoration will take.
Vingegaard’s former teammate Roglič deserted Itzulia after coming down in the identical crash, although the Slovenian sustained no damaged bones. His participation within the Ardennes Classics stays unsure, however on Tuesday, Bora-Hansgrohe signalled that he had returned to coaching by publishing an image of Roglič aboard his turbo coach.
Evenepoel underwent surgical procedure on his damaged collarbone in Herentals on Friday. The Belgian won’t recuperate in time to hunt a 3rd straight Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory, however Soudal-QuickStep directeur sportif Klaas Lodewyck indicated that he remained on track to make his Tour debut in July. “His participation within the Tour shouldn’t be in peril,” Lodewyck stated.
