Cyclingflash
Serious crash sidelines Maxim Van Gils for months with pelvic fracture

Serious crash sidelines Maxim Van Gils for months with pelvic fracture

Maxim Van Gils will have to write off his spring season. The Belgian rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe suffered a heavy crash during the final sprint of the Clásica Jaén on Monday. The medical verdict is severe: Van Gils has sustained a pelvic fracture and will be out of action for the coming months.

His team has since confirmed this via social media. "After medical examinations, it became clear that Maxim Van Gils has broken his pelvis. He will therefore not be competing in the coming months. The entire team stands behind you, with every step you take now," Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe offered encouraging words to the unfortunate Van Gils.

Tim Wellens won Monday’s fifth edition of the Clásica Jaén after an impressive solo of over fifty kilometers, but the attention after the race was mainly on his compatriot Van Gils. The latter was preparing for the sprint to contest the remaining podium spots but came into contact with Jan Christen and crashed at high speed.

The footage shows how the young Swiss rider from UAE Emirates XRG deviates slightly from his line in the sprint and lightly makes contact with Van Gils. The Belgian loses his balance momentarily, brushes the barriers, and then crashes at high speed.

Van Gils, racing for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, lay on the asphalt for some time afterward and appeared to be badly hurt. Christen crossed the line third but was disqualified by the commissaires after the race for an 'irregular sprint.'

Another setback
For Van Gils, this is a new blow, as he already endured a difficult season last year serving Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. In his first year with the German team, he faced a series of personal issues, illness, crashes, and injuries. With this new injury, his spring campaign is now off the table.