🎥 Spring season over for Wellens after collarbone fracture in Kuurne: "extremely disappointed"

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 that day, the suspicions were confirmed. After the race, in which Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) won his first classic by winning the final sprint with overwhelming power, UAE Team Emirates - XRG provided a medical update on Wellens, who had fallen. And there, the fears became reality: his collarbone was broken.

Unfortunately, Tim Wellens suffered a fracture to his right collarbone in today's crash,“ said Adrian Rotunno, chief doctor for the Emirates team. ”He will have to undergo surgery this evening before he can begin his rehabilitation period at home, under the supervision of the medical staff." This is the worst possible news, as surgery will most likely mean the end of spring for the Belgian champion.

This became clear a day later from Wellens himself. “The 2026 classics are over before they even started,” he said sadly on Instagram. The Belgian did confirm that the surgery was successful. “The rehabilitation process has already started. I am extremely disappointed that I will miss the upcoming races, but I will be cheering on my teammates in front of the TV.”