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news
Fabio Jakobsen.PNGUpdated: UCI condemns Dylan Groenewegen as Fabio Jakobsen fights for his life after horrific Tour de Pologne crash
UPDATED 2102 hrs 5 August 2020
The UCI has said it “strongly condemns” the “dangerous behaviour” of Jumbo-Visma rider Dylan Groenewegen after he sent Fabio Jakobsen of Deceuninck-Quick Step into the barriers at the end of today’s opening stage of the Tour de Pologne. The Dutch national champion’s life is said to be at risk due to “severe head and brain trauma,” according to the race doctor.
The crash happened metres from the line in Katowice in a fast, downhill sprint, with Groenewegen appearing to move across Jakobsen’s line and flicking an elbow at him to send his rival catapulting into the barriers, which immediately broke apart.
The horrific incident was caught on TV cameras – a tweet with video that was embedded in a previous version of this story can be found here – as well as on a video shot on the mobile phone of a spectator standing by the finish line, metres from where the crash happened.
Advertising hoardings were thrown all over the road, causing several other riders to fall, and one key question that will need answering is why neither the barriers nor the hoardings appear to have been secured.
Groenewegen crossed the line first as he too came down, but has been disqualified from the race. The stage results do not appear to have been released as yet.
Jakobsen was taken to hospital by air ambulance and clearly his situation is critical. Typically, when a rider is seriously injured in a crash, a statement detailing the injuries would have followed by this point in the evening.
Instead, Deceuninck-Quick Step, also updating on an injury sustained by Yves Lampaert in a crash at Milano-Torino today, said only that its “thoughts and prayers” were with Jakobsen and that it would provide a further update once there was more news.
blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
An update after today. pic.twitter.com/KukGijXDP3
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) August 5, 2020
In an unusually forthright statement, the UCI said that it “strongly condemns the dangerous behaviour of rider Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma), who sent Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quickstep) into the barriers a few metres from the finish, causing a collective crash at the end of the first stage of the Tour of Poland.
“Groenewegen was disqualified from the race by the commissaires' panel.
“The UCI, which considers the behaviour unacceptable, immediately referred the matter to the Disciplinary Commission to request the imposition of sanctions commensurate with the seriousness of the facts.
“Our Federation is wholeheartedly with the affected riders,” it added.
The race doctor told Polish broadcaster Polsat: “It is a severe head and brain trauma. We did what we could, the medical team came immediately.
“The biggest problems were with intubation, a huge trauma to the palate, heavy bleeding. The health condition is very serious, it is a direct threat to life.”
Jakobsen's team mate Florian Seneschal tweeted this picture after the crash, the damage to his mitts reflecting the high-speed nature of the crash.
I was the first to help @FabioJakobsen . To hold his head. Just by looking at the picture one can understand the shock of the accident. Stay strong my friend. 💪🏼😔 pic.twitter.com/A4Pp4AsA94
— Florian Senechal-Staelens (@flosenech) August 5, 2020
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, emotions were unsurprisingly running high and another Deceuninck-Quick Step rider on the race, Remco Evenepoel, sent a tweet, quickly deleted, calling for Groenewegen to receive a lifetime ban.
As the Tour de Pologne highlighted in a tweet this morning, today marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Lotto-Soudal rider Bjorg Lambrecht, who was killed when he crashed into a concrete culvert on the third stage of last year's race.
Today is the first anniversary of a tragic accident where a young @lotto_soudal rider Bjorg Lambrecht lost his life. We remember, Bjorg. 🖤🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/RVvAdChZhJ
— Tour de Pologne (@Tour_de_Pologne) August 5, 2020
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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18 comments
Is there any news about a race official? It seems like Jakobsen hit him almost immedeately after the crash
answering to myself: the official is in stable condition and already regainded consciousness
Shocking riding by Groenewegen with deliberate intentions of forcing Jakobsen into the barriers. Both bikes were level on a straight road, so no 'racing line' to gain any advantage. If this happened in motor racing, there would be serious consequences for the driver at fault.
And the race organisers are not much better. Clearly they all about the 'exciting & quick' finish with no regard for rider safety. How long before a rider gets paralysed or worse?
Do the UCI have any minimum standards for barriers etc at the finish of a race?
It shouldn't be that hard to implement a set of suitably protective barriers for say the final 150 metres of a finish, with no protruding legs, able to withstand a certain amount of force etc. Maybe if race organisers were threatened with legal action each time the barriers fail or cause an injury they might invest in some proper equipment. Not expecting them to put it everywhere, but at any kind of high speed finish it really should be better.
Disgusted and horrified by this crash. I think it was a perfect storm hey... reckless riding, reckless course design, inadequate race infrastructure. The UCI has some work to do following this.
First and foremost, DG's riding was disgusting. There is no place for that in this sport. Look I've raced many years, I'm a sprinter, and I know all about closing windows, putting on the squeeze, rubbin's racing etc. etc. This was not that, there was no psychology here, no squeeze... It looks obvious, from my perception anyway, that DG knew FJ was coming up, and rather than being a squeeze, that was a firm door shut... at close to 80kph.
He left no room for FJ to even back out, it was a horrible mis-judgement based on aggression and poor sportsmanship.
As for course design, yeah questions need to be asked, but again my thoughts return to DG's conduct. He knew well in advance, hell I'm sure his bike was even geared up especially for the known fast finish, but he still decided to ride that recklessly. Sticking to F1 analogies, its akin to coming up the inside of a driver at Copse corner and then running them out wide and off the course. The danger is a known. Yes lessons should be taken from this around course design and finish line standards, but make no mistake, the initial focus should be stamping out this type of rider behaviour.
Reflecting on my own riding, watching this incident has made me genuinely question why and if I should continue to race, certainly I couldn't condone one of my children looking at cycling as a professional sport. Currently it appears like some form of macabre joke. For me an example needs to be made..
A what point does an accepted tactic become a criminal matter?
I suspect when the matter is reported to the Police and then they have to review and decide on it with the CPS. In the UK, a few footballers have been charged after some aggressive challenges.
How can you cheer for a rider who rides like that! If you cant win with your legs, chucking someone into the barriers like that is common assault. Worse cheating than doping
Are those barriers up to regulation? Groenewegen's riding is, on the face of it, pretty appalling, but the incident might have been less serious if the barriers had held firm, and Jakobsen had bounced off the hoardings and fallen into the road. As Cavendish did when Sagan sent him into the barriers at the 2017 Tour. Instead the barriers exploded in all directions, even catching up with Groenewegen's back wheel and sending him flying. Or maybe they are designed to have the weight of a crowd of people behind them?
Barriers are normally secured to each other because otherwise they would normally fall. Most of them are interlinked so one is slotted ino the end of the next into the end of the next. I suspect as that was an end barrier with a gap for the finish line and maybe even a crossing spot before the race got there, I suspect the one end wasn't fixed. And because of the barrier being lose AND the gap, Jakobesen hit the firm and unmoving finish stanction and comes to a dead stop from about 60mph.
I really hope he survives and has a productive life but I fear very bad news unfortunately.
Shocking accident. Hope he pulls through.
Cycling is still like F1 up to 70s in terms of certain safety aspects. Sprints are a prime accident area and these metal barriers with some light foam over them seem like a problem that could so with solving.
Never mind, I'm sure sock measuring is higher up the UCI's list of priorities.
That is a very good analogy. I do wonder what went through the heads of the people designing that finish and what risk assesments were done, or did they have the same attitude as F1 and motorsport in the past?
The lose barrier and the gap are just awful. That is a prime spot for that kind of crash, which should be reenforced with full barriers and addional padding, to absorb the impact of a 60mph crash during a sprint finish, not allow a rider to just crash through and in to solid objects. The hordings seem to be nothing more than advertising that won't splinter and will stop bikes catching on the railings if they clip one. Nothing to protect a rider.
I think the difference with F1 is that drivers back then didn't deliberately force their opponents off the track. I can't recall a fatality in F1 that wasn't due to mechanical failure or driver error. It was the same in motorcycle racing. You hear drivers/riders from back then who are now commentating bemoaning the poor driving standards. Of course, the rewards are much greater and the stage bigger. Sadly crashes get coverage, particularly serious ones. Tour De Pologne has been covered by the BBC just 4 times in recent years - and 3 of those reports are related to Bjorg Lambrecht. https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=tour+de+pologne
As to sprint finish areas the solution would seem to be double barriers so spectactors can't lean across, and something like the SAFER barriers they use in American oval racing. Or maybe airfences like speedway/MotoGP.
Seneschal didn't tweet a picture of the damage to his mitts. He was first to get to Fabio and was holding his head still, that picture was not his blood. Thankfully he deleted it, because it was a dickhead move to post it.
At least a Bianchi crossed the line first though. But seriously, that appeared to be a really bad 'shouldering' by Groenewegen.
Deleted
insane crash, the slow-mo zoomed clip shows Dylan moving way off his line and flicking the elbow out, DQ and doubt he'll be in the rest of the tour.
Crazy riding by Dylan as he clearly veered off his line leaving Jakobson little option but to skim the barrier...and then the elbow from Dylan finished it off. Dreadful stuff, and whoever thought a downhill sprint finish was a good idea needs to pause for some reflection.
Agreed.
Flat or up hill sprints only. More prolonged interest for the watching crowd too.
Terrible crash / result ;-(