A severe crash within the opening kilometres of E3 Saxo Classic noticed 4 riders abandon and brought to hospital to deal with their accidents on Friday.
Nervousness within the peloton and an early crash took down Gil Gelders, Jordi Warlop and Dries Van Gestel, all from Soudal-QuickStep, together with Kevin Vermaerke from Picnic-PostNL.
All have been examined onsite after which transported to a hospital in close by Waregem for additional medical examination.
Soudal-QuickStep confirmed in a medical replace following the race that docs have handled Gelders and Warlop for concussions, whereas Van Gestel has fractured his left elbow and wrist.
“Following their crash within the opening 20 kilometers of Friday’s E3 Saxo Classic, Gil Gelders, Dries Van Gestel and Jordi Warlop have been taken to hospital in Waregem. Both Gil and Jordi have been handled for concussion however fortuitously don’t have any different accidents,” Soudal-QuickStep wrote in a medical replace.
“While Dries didn’t have a concussion, he has, nevertheless, fractured his left elbow and wrist. A course of for his therapy and restoration can be determined within the coming hours and days.”
Picnic-PostNL has not but launched a medical replace concerning Vermaerke’s accidents and restoration.
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The carnage induced important splits among the many peloton, with pre-race favourites Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) caught even additional again in a gaggle practically 4 minutes behind.
Van der Poel went on to win the race after a searing assault on the Oude Kwaremont and a solo pursuit into the end line in Harelbeke, nevertheless, he later expressed his disappointment that some groups determined to place strain on the entrance of the race, whereas he and others have been caught behind the crash.
“In the start, we have been behind a crash, and a few groups felt it was essential to benefit from that,” Van der Poel stated, sounding considerably irritated.
“The group needed to trip all day due to this. I felt a bit obliged to try to end it off afterward. I used to be very motivated. I went fairly deep, however I’m joyful that I used to be in a position to reward them with a victory.”
While Soudal-QuickStep took the brunt of the accident with three riders abandoning, Casper Pedersen saved the race for the group after convey concerned within the day’s decisive breakaway after which anticipating the chase group dash to complete fourth.
Pedersen and Aimé De Gendt (Cofidis) jumped on the Knokteberg, and race winner Van der Poel, Ganna and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) later bridged throughout to type the successful breakaway.
Although Casper Pedersen and De Gendt have been dropped from the breakaway on the Kwaremont and caught by a chase group, Pedersen had sufficient left within the tank to dash for fourth.
“It was a really exhausting day,” Casper Pedersen stated. “We know E3 is at all times an excellent exhausting day and a really hectic day, however at the moment was much more so as a result of huge crash close to the beginning, the place we had numerous guys, sadly, caught up inside.
“But we tried to remain calm and look forward to the 2 huge teams to come back collectively, and from my facet, I attempted to anticipate the race a bit with an assault and that labored out good for me.”