Groenewegen facing nine-month ban for Jakobsen crash at Tour de Pologne

Jumbo-Visma's Dylan Groenewegen will reportedly receive a nine-month ban from cycling for his role in Deceuninck-QuickStep sprinter Fabio Jakobsen's crash on stage 1 of the Tour de Pologne in Katowice.

According to reports from Wielerflits, an "independent arbitration committee" determined the ban, which will be imposed retroactively from August and run through to May 6, 2021. On the day of the crash, the UCI stated that the incident had been referred to the Disciplinary Commission, though the process now looks to have been outsourced.

Back in August, the UCI released a statement condemning Groenewegen, who dangerously deviated from his line during the fast downhill sprint finish, pushing Jakobsen into the barriers with a pileup following as the advertising hoardings flew across the road.

Jakobsen was placed into an induced coma after the life-threatening crash and has undergone multiple surgeries to a plethora of facial injuries which included severe damage to his jaw and teeth. He will undergo further surgery next year and hopes to resume training later this month.

"In a couple of weeks my pelvic crest should be healed and strong like before again," he said in a Twitter post on Monday. "From then I can slowly start training on the bike again!"

Groenewegen, meanwhile, was disqualified from the race and suspended from racing by his team three days later, pending a ruling on a penalty.

If the nine-month ban – an unprecedented ban for a non-doping offence – is confirmed by the UCI, the only recourse he and his team will have will be to launch an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

According to Wielerflits' report, the UCI will announce the ban at the end of this week. Jumbo-Visma did not comment on the matter when contacted by Cyclingnews on Tuesday afternoon.