Hospital ward after sprint race in France: head wounds and fractures, plus major damage for the Rockets

There were multiple crashes in France, with the heaviest occurring just before the finish. The final kilometre was chaotic, with plenty of jostling for position, and it ended in a pile-up. The lead-out train of Unibet Rose Rockets was derailed when lead-out man Ronan Augé hit the rear wheel of Rick Pluimers. Augé went down hard, triggering a domino effect behind him.

A big heap of riders quickly formed, with several men left on the tarmac. “I lost control of my bike and went down,” Augé explained after the race via his team’s social media channels (Instagram). The young Frenchman was left with plenty of road rash and open abrasions across his body. Thankfully, that was the extent of his injuries — but others were less fortunate.

TotalEnergies saw Lorenzo Manzin caught up in the crash. The 31-year-old French sprinter hit his head and was unable to finish. He was taken to hospital, where it was confirmed he had suffered a concussion. A head wound also had to be stitched. Manzin will need some rest, but the expectation is that he won’t be sidelined for too long.

The same cannot be said for Simone Velasco. The Italian rider of XDS Astana also crashed and was forced to abandon. He complained of pain around the abdominal area, and examinations revealed he had suffered a bruised kidney. According to the team he is feeling reasonably okay, but he will not start the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, where he was considered one of the contenders. Mario Schrettl will replace him.

Sadly, there were also riders who left France with fractures. Chris Harper was not involved in the late crash, but went down with 40 kilometres to go. The Australian hit the deck in an incident involving five riders, and he came off worst: he broke his collarbone and had to abandon. Fortunately, no surgery is required, but the climber will still need time off the bike.