Visma-Lease a Bike announced that Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk will not continue in the Critérium du Dauphiné after falling in a mass crash on stage 5.
Richard Plugge, the team's manager, reacted to a spectator's video showing many riders in the peloton falling and sliding down the wet tarmac as if on ice, asking "would this happen in F1? Or would the safety organisation take measures upfront?"
Among the fallers was race leader Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and second-placed Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe). Fortunately, Matteo Jorgenson, third overall, avoided the worst of the crash but he will start the last three tough mountain stages without two key teammates.
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"Following the big crash today, Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk were taken to the hospital," Visma-Lease a Bike stated on Twitter.com. "Examinations revealed that Dylan has fractured his collarbone and will need surgery. Steven has a small fracture in his hip that will heal with rest.
"We're very disappointed to report that we will have to miss both riders at the Tour de France. We wish them all the best for their recovery."
Van Baarle and Kruijswijk were among dozens of riders who fell on a slippery descent with 21km to go on stage 5 from Amplepuis to Saint-Priest. The incident was so widespread that organisers were forced to cancel the stage so that medics could attend to the injured.
Both riders were on Visma-Lease a Bike's long team for the Tour de France along with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert, both of whom are recovering from serious injuries suffered this spring.
Van Aert broke his sternum and ribs in a heavy fall during Dwars door Vlaanderen while Vingegaard suffered a broken collarbone and several rib fractures along with a collapsed lung from a crash during the Itzulia Basque Country in April.
Evenepoel and Roglič were also involved in the Itzulia crash and recently made their return to racing. Both appeared to be OK after the crash.
"I almost avoided the crash, but another bike got caught under my bike, and I ended up on the ground, on my right side again," Evenepoel said. "Overall, I think I am OK, but I will know more tomorrow morning before the start of stage 6."
Roglič also fell on a shoulder he injured previously, stating, "I crashed on my shoulder, it's not the best - it's the side I had surgery on a few years ago. We need to check it and see what kind of a state it is in. For me definitely a lot better than some of the guys, I still rode over the finish. But it's still shit that these things are happening."
Click below to unfurl the video embed to see the video of today's crash.
