Heavy falls overshadow the Tour of Lombardy and the Critérium du Dauphiné stage race. German cyclists are also affected.
Megève (dpa) - After the numerous falls at the 72nd Critérium du Dauphiné, the German cycling veterans Tony Martin and André Greipel have expressed clear criticism of the organizers.
Among other things, the German Tour de France hope Emanuel Buchmann had to give up the stage race after falling on a descent on the fourth stage.
"Gravel and deep holes all the way down. The people who decided to take this route don't care for the safety of us drivers for a second," wrote the former world time trial champion Martin on Instagram and also contacted the UCI: " How many more bad accidents must happen for something to change? "
In addition to Buchmann, who was lucky and got away with abrasions and a large hematoma but without fractures, Martin's teammates Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk, who both have ambitions in the Tour de France, also fell. While Vuelta winner Roglic fought his way to the finish as the overall leader, the Dutchman Kruijswijk had to give up the race with a dislocated shoulder.
"The organizers disrespect all of the drivers. To risk your health to end up with the result that two candidates for the overall classification are out at the end of the descent," wrote sprinter André Greipel on Twitter.
The Belgian cycling prodigy Remco Evenepoel and the German champion Maximilian Schachmann also fell during the Lombardy Tour, which was taking place at the same time. The 20-year-old Belgian collided with the boundary wall of a bridge while driving downhill, overturned and fell down a slope. The examinations in the hospital revealed a rupture of the pelvis and a contusion of the right lung. Schachmann broke his collarbone in a collision with a car shortly before the target. This means that the 26-year-old can practically write off his participation in the Tour de France in just under two weeks. The UCI is investigating after the incident. The car should never have hit the track.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200816-99-184752 / 2
Official website of Lombardy Tour
Official website of the Criterium du Dauphiné
Tony Martin on Instagram
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