Bart Wellens uninjured in Superprestige crash
32-year-old Bart Wellens suffered a violent crash in Sunday’s round six of the Superprestige Series. The cyclo-cross race was challenged on frozen soil, and Wellens was sent to the ground by a patch of ice in a sharp corner.
“I knew it was a dangerous place, I had seen that during the warm up. But in this course you have to go all out,” said Wellens to Sportwereld.be. “I had just caught the leading group and it was a crucial moment. I had to go for it.”
The Belgian rider went headfirst into a ditch, smashing his helmet into five pieces. His neck and his right wrist were both severely bruised. Wellens assumed the wrist was broken, having already broken it earlier in the season.
“Guys, this does not look good, I have the same feeling as the World Cup in Hooglede-Gits,” said the rider before going to the hospital. “I can't move it, I can't hold my handlebars. And it hurts like h**l.”
Three hours later, the doctor announced he survived the crash without any broken bones, but that Wellens would be wearing braces on both bruised areas for several weeks. Despite the braces, Wellens intends to race the Igorre World Cup, only one week after
his crash.
“The x-rays seemed to show that the wrist was broken, but a CAT scan showed it wasn't,” said doctor Bart T'Seven. “He has a severe bruise on his wrist, especially around the carpal bone. He also severely bruised his neck.”
Wellens had been trailing the four-man leading group in the race at the time of the crash and never crossed the finish line. He remains in sixth overall in the Superprestige series.
“You don't think of going doing in such a stupid way, when there are so many other slicker patches on the course. But suddenly my front wheel went bottom up and I flew with my head to the ground.”
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