A two-time Tour de France champion was rushed to hospital after being caught up in a grizzly pile-up at the Itzulia Basque Country on Thursday afternoon.
Several riders dismounted after sliding off a corner during the final stages of the run from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio in Spain and tumbled into a concrete ditch.
Jonas Vingegaard, who won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, was involved in the collision and carried away on a stretcher and given oxygen.
Vingegaard was also fitted with a neck brace before being transported to hospital.
'Jonas is on his way to the hospital,' a statement from his team Visma-Lease a Bike said.
The crash, which was broadcast live, began when one rider appeared to lose control around the bend. This in turn sparked a chain of incidents where over 10 riders fell.
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel looked to land on the grass but held his collarbone after his landing. He was able to walk for assistance and was also taken to hospital.
Primoz Roglic, a Slovenian rider, also pulled out of the race but gave a thumbs-up to the television cameras, indicating to viewers that he was not seriously hurt.
Jay Vine, Sean Quinn, Alexander Cepeda, and Natnael Tesfatsion were also among those to receive treatment by the side of the road, with Vine then taken to hospital.
Eurosport reported that six riders in total received further treatment in hospital.
The series of collisions led to the stage being neutralized with 27.9km to go, with doctors responding to the crash before ambulances arrived on the scene.
A statement from the organizers, posted on their official social media pages, said: 'The race is neutralized until the finish line, the six leading runners will compete in the stage but the stage times will not be counted for the general classification.
'The platoon will go in neutral until the finish line.'
The Tour de France will take place between June 29 and July 21 this year.
Several riders dismounted after sliding off a corner during the final stages of the run from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio in Spain and tumbled into a concrete ditch.
Jonas Vingegaard, who won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, was involved in the collision and carried away on a stretcher and given oxygen.
Vingegaard was also fitted with a neck brace before being transported to hospital.
'Jonas is on his way to the hospital,' a statement from his team Visma-Lease a Bike said.
The crash, which was broadcast live, began when one rider appeared to lose control around the bend. This in turn sparked a chain of incidents where over 10 riders fell.
Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel looked to land on the grass but held his collarbone after his landing. He was able to walk for assistance and was also taken to hospital.
Primoz Roglic, a Slovenian rider, also pulled out of the race but gave a thumbs-up to the television cameras, indicating to viewers that he was not seriously hurt.
Jay Vine, Sean Quinn, Alexander Cepeda, and Natnael Tesfatsion were also among those to receive treatment by the side of the road, with Vine then taken to hospital.
Eurosport reported that six riders in total received further treatment in hospital.
The series of collisions led to the stage being neutralized with 27.9km to go, with doctors responding to the crash before ambulances arrived on the scene.
A statement from the organizers, posted on their official social media pages, said: 'The race is neutralized until the finish line, the six leading runners will compete in the stage but the stage times will not be counted for the general classification.
'The platoon will go in neutral until the finish line.'
The Tour de France will take place between June 29 and July 21 this year.
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