🎥 End of Tim Wellens’ spring? Belgian breaks collarbone in Kuurne crash and must go under the knife

With over 100 kilometres to go, there were several incidents in the peloton. The second crash was the biggest, with around ten riders hitting the deck. Wellens was among them, as was Timo Roosen (Picnic PostNL). It quickly became clear that the UAE Team Emirates–XRG rider could not continue, and Sean Christian (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) also abandoned.

Sporza soon reported fears of a collarbone fracture for Wellens — a major blow, given he had been in strong form after winning the Clásica Jaén. In the footage (via X) you can see the all-rounder crash hard into a ditch before immediately removing his helmet. Limping in pain, he walked off the road and sat down as medical staff treated him. It did not look good…

Later in the day, those fears were confirmed. After the race — won by Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike), who powered to victory in the final sprint — UAE Team Emirates–XRG released a medical update on Wellens. The diagnosis was clear: a broken collarbone.

“Unfortunately, Tim Wellens has sustained a fracture of his right collarbone in today’s crash,” said Adrian Rotunno, head doctor at the Emirati team. “He will need to undergo surgery this evening, before his rehabilitation period at home can begin under the supervision of the medical staff.”

It is the worst possible news for the Belgian champion: an operation almost certainly means his spring campaign is over.