Burgos-Burpellet-BH rider Merhawi Kudus has been discharged from hospital after nearly a month, owing to severe injuries sustained in a crash on the GP de la Marsellaise on February 2.
A team representative confirmed the news to Global Peloton, saying the Eritrean had left hospital in Spain last week, and is now staying near the team’s headquarters.
Kudus is one of the most experienced African riders in the peloton, and has previously ridden for WorldTour teams Dimension Data, Astana and EF Education-EasyPost, making the move to Burgos-Burpellet-BH for 2025.
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The crash in France at the start of February saw the 31-year-old go down at high speed on a descent and he suffered “several fractures at the level of the costal margins [lower ribs], lumbar vertebrae and sacrum, as well as a pulmonary contusion with hemo-pneumothorax”.
He was hospitalised in France before moving to a hospital in Spain, and news about his condition was initially delayed as the team were unable to contact his family in Eritrea.
“In spite of the seriousness of the situation, he is doing well,” the team told Global Peloton. “He didn't have to undergo surgery and his recovery is going well. At the moment we have not set any recovery period, as the injuries are serious.”
“We hope he will be able to ride this year, but we are not setting any deadlines for training or racing, so that he can recover without pressure.”
The rider himself also gave an update to Global Peloton saying he is “getting better every day” and going to start riding on a static trainer, but there is no timeline on when or how he may return to racing.
Kudus is a former winner of the Tour du Rwanda in 2019, has finished on the GC podium of races like the Tour of Türkiye and Tour of Langkawi, and is a three-time national champion of Eritrea.
He joined Burgos-Burpallet-BH after a year of racing in Asia for Terengganu Cycling, and was hoping to be part of Burgos’ aims at reaching the Vuelta a España, but that is now in doubt with his undetermined period away from racing.
