(CNN) - Cyclist Fabio Jakobsen is in a "comatose condition" after a terrible accident at the end of the first stage of the Tour of Poland, according to his team.
Jakobsen collided with a barrier at the finish line of Wednesday's race after Dylan Groenewegen got in the way of the Dutch rider, causing other riders to crash as well.
"Fabio Jakobsen's situation is serious but at the moment he is stable," said a statement from his Deceuninck-QuickStep team.
"The diagnostic tests did not reveal any brain or spinal injuries, but due to the severity of his multiple injuries, he is still kept in a comatose condition and has to be closely monitored in the following days at the Wojewódzki Szpital in Katowice."
On Thursday, the team released a new update on the rider's health, saying Jakobsen had undergone facial surgery overnight and that doctors would try to wake him up later on Thursday.
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Doctors attend Jakobsen after the accident.
After the fall, Groenewegen was disqualified from the race and Jakobsen was declared the winner. Their actions have been condemned by the UCI, the world governing body for cycling.
«The International Cycling Union (UCI) strongly condemns the dangerous behavior of cyclist Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma), who sent Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) to the barriers a few meters from the finish, causing a collective collapse at end of the first stage of the Tour of Poland ”, says a statement from the UCI.
The UCI added that the incident will be referred to a disciplinary commission to determine whether sanctions should be imposed, while Jumbo-Visma said the team will carry out an internal review of the accident.
"Our thoughts go out to Fabio Jakobsen and others involved in today's terrible Tour of Poland accident," the team wrote on Twitter.
Accidents like these should not happen. We offer our sincere apologies and will internally discuss what happened before we can make any further statements. "
The first stage of the Tour of Poland covered 195.8 kilometers, starting at the Silesian Stadium and ending in the city of Katowice.
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Fabio Jakobsen (right) competes in the Tour of Poland.
The crash occurred a few meters from the finish line when Jakobsen and Groenewegen competed for the victory, and several runners and a race official were involved.
"I followed the situation from the beginning ... after speaking with the director, I can say that I am a little relieved," said race organizer Czesław Lang about Jakobsen's condition.
"After seeing the crash, we feared the worst, but now we know that there are no serious internal injuries or serious fractures, and the patient's situation stabilizes."
"The race official also involved in the accident suffered a head injury but has already regained consciousness and is now in a stable condition.
"I really want to send a sincere thank you to the doctors and hospital staff for their prompt care and assistance, and I also wish that all the athletes involved in the crash recover quickly."
The cycling world has offered support to Jakobsen
This was not the way I expected to reach the goal. My biggest concern now is Fabio Jakobsen. My thoughts are with him, Deceuninck-QuickStep and his family! ”Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen tweeted, who was caught in the crash.
Forza Fabio Jakobsen, stay strong, tweeted 2014 Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali.
Lance Armstrong also sent his support, adding, "I've been in this game for a long time and I'm not sure I've seen such a horrible crash."
Thoughts and prayers go out to Fabio Jakobsen. Hang in there buddy. Been around this game a long time and not sure I've seen a crash that horrific. FabioSTRONG!
- Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) August 5, 2020
AccidentsTour of Poland