The Vuelta a España organisers have apologised over the accident yesterday which saw Steven Kruijswijk (Team Lotto-NL Jumbo) and Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale) crash into a metal pole in the closing kilometres of the race.
Unipublic issued a statement which said: “In response to the accident involving riders Steven Kruijswijk (Team Lotto-NL Jumbo) and Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale) during the fifth stage held today, the organisation of the 2016 Vuelta a España wishes to express its deepest regret for what happened.”
“The organisation has been in contact with the directors of both teams and with the general manager of Team Lotto-Jumbo in order to convey its sincerest apologies, expressed also through this statement, just as it has also been in contact with the riders’ representatives in the Vuelta, with the International Cycling Team Association and with the President of the Commissioners College in the International Cycling Union.”
Unipublic have also said that they have opened an internal investigation into the incident.
Kruijswijk was later diagnosed with a broken collarbone and forced out of the race.
“My ribs and collarbone hurt a lot,” Kruijswijk said afterwards. “I crashed heavily into that pole. It’s terrible that I have to leave this race because of an object that shouldn’t have been there. I’m going home immediately tomorrow. This was, after the Giro d’Italia, my second big target and I’m really fed up about the way I’m leaving this Vuelta.”
la organizacion se disculpo y dijo que el ano que viene va a colocar palos transversalmente para perjudicar a todos los equipos en vez de unos pocos!
Express regret, a fat lot of fucking use that is, you fuckin dipshits, couldnt organize a party at a brewery