DSQ Jan Christen: Swiss rider crashes Maxim Van Gils into barriers in Clásica Jaén sprint finish

Tim Wellens won Monday’s fifth edition of the Clásica Jaén after an impressive solo of over fifty kilometers, but the aftermath focused mainly on another Belgian. Maxim Van Gils was preparing for the sprint for the remaining podium spots but came into contact with Jan Christen and crashed at high speed.

In the sprint for the remaining podium places, Tom Pidcock came out on top, but the sprint was marred by a heavy crash involving Maxim Van Gils. The Belgian was getting ready to launch his sprint but simultaneously saw Christen move to the left.

The footage shows how the young Swiss rider from UAE Emirates XRG deviated from his line during the sprint and slightly clipped Van Gils. The Belgian lost his balance for a moment, touched the barriers, and then crashed hard at high speed.

Watch here the sprint and the heavy crash of Maxim Van Gils:

🚴🇪🇸 | Tim Wellens is weer eens vroeg in vorm. Hij roundt een indrukwekkende solo succesvol af en wint de Clásica Jaén. In de achtergrond gaat het nog goed mis bij de achtervolgende sprint van Maxim van Gils. #ClasicaJaen 🇧🇪

Wielrennen 👀 HBO Max pic.twitter.com/IkIuyfxZZa

— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) February 16, 2026

Van Gils, riding for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, remained lying on the asphalt for some time afterwards and appeared seriously injured. No details are yet known regarding the extent of the damage or possible injuries.

DSQ for Christen

Christen finished third, but the jury subsequently disqualified the Swiss rider for an "illegal sprint." His teammate Benoît Cosnefroy – who initially finished fourth – was thus allowed to appear on the podium afterward.