Lotto-Intermarché have announced that their rider Robin Orins suffered a left knee injury after being hit by a driver of a car while he was on a training ride in Spain.
The 23-year-old Belgian was set to begin his 2026 campaign at the Vuelta a Murcia today, but he has instead flown back to Belgium for treatment.
Lotto report that second-year pro will be off the bike for more than a week as a result of his injury, and his season start has been postponed as a result.
"Robin Orins was hit by a car during training in Spain and injured his left knee," Lotto-Intermarché announced on Friday.
"In consultation with the team, Robin flew back to Belgium for treatment, the next 10 days off the bike and therefore postpone the start of his season. Get well soon, Robin."
Orins had been set to head to France to race the Faun-Ardèche Classic and Faun Drome Classic on February 28 and March 1, but it now seems that his season debut could come later in March instead.
Orins joins a lengthy list of riders who have been hit by drivers in recent months. Last week, Soudal-QuickStep rider Gianmarco Garofoli was lucky to escape major injury after he was hit by a driver exceeding the speed limit in Tenerife.
"I was hit by a hit-and-run driver: he was coming from behind, speeding, over 100 km/h, well over the speed limit. I was perfectly visible: I was wearing a fluorescent yellow vest and had my red taillight flashing," Garofoli wrote on Instagram.
"Despite this, he didn't slow down, he didn't move, he didn't do anything. He came up behind me and hit me with his mirror and the front of the car.
"In that moment, I realised that if he had hit me head-on, I probably wouldn't be here today."
In December, Polti-VisitMalta rider Germán Gómez suffered fractures to his left clavicle and left hand after he was hit by a driver in Colombia.
November saw Thibault Guernalec and Demi Vollering hit by drivers, while earlier in 2025, both Cian Uijtdebroeks and Pierre Latour were involved in similar incidents, with the Frenchman forced to retire prematurely after suffering an arm injury in the incident.
