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Jay Vine and Steff Cras shared more details of the aftermath of the horrific crash last week at Itzulia Basque Country, with both riders expressing relief and gratitude that things were not worse.
Cras described the high-speed fall as a “brush with death,” while Vine thanked his lucky stars for avoiding more serious injuries than what he already suffered.
“Just can’t believe that I will still be able to walk and play with my kids one day,” Vine wrote in a post on Instagram. “It was pretty scary for a couple of days when we weren’t sure if surgery or neurological problems might present themselves.”
Both riders remain hospitalized as the fallout of the horrific crash on April 4 continues to play out.
Cras and Vine were among the most seriously injured in what’s arguably one of the most costly and brutal crashes in the modern peloton.
More than a half-dozen riders were involved, including Tour de France favorites Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, both of whom have undergone surgeries for broken collarbones and continue to be treated for other injuries that will keep them sidelined for weeks if not more.
Ardennes too early for Roglič on the mend
Primož Roglič was among the top stars equally impacted, but he avoided the fractures and other serious injuries that also included punctured lung, broken ribs, and concussions among several riders.
The Slovenian is the first among the most seriously injured to regain contact with the bike, and he rode an indoor trainer this week.
On Friday, officials confirmed Roglič will not race the upcoming Ardennes classics.
“Primož Roglič will continue to focus on recovering from the injuries he sustained at Itzulia Basque Country in the coming days,” a team note said. “He plans to resume training on the bike next week. The two race days at Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège have therefore been removed from his program.”
Dan Lorang, Head of Performance at Bora-Hansgrohe, also updated his condition.
“Primož was with us the whole week to treat his extensive wounds and his knee. We want to give his body time to fully recover from these injuries, because our big goal is the Tour de France,” Lorang said. “That’s why we’ve decided to focus on his training for the next week.”
Steff Cras: ‘I was scared to death because I couldn’t breathe for 30 seconds’
In an interview with La Dernière Heure, the TotalEnergies rider Cras recounted his fears that he might have died in the high-speed impact that saw him tumble into a concrete drainage ditch.
“I had a brush with death,” he told the Belgian daily. “I was scared to death because I couldn’t breathe for 30 seconds. I only had one lung that was functioning.”
Cras, along with several other riders, crashed into the concrete ditch at speeds around 70kph on a sweeping right-hand turn at a decisive moment in the fourth stage.
Cras described how the favorites were fighting for position to be at the front of the race. Rough road conditions and an apparent slump in the pavement saw one rider lose control, which created a domino-effect behind him.
Update on Jonas Vingegaard:
Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone.
He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take.
He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few…
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) April 9, 2024
Riders tumbled off the road, striking a concrete ditch and boulders lining the corner. Though there was padding and hay bails along other points of the descent, none were placed at the scene of crash.
Cras fell into the ditch, but stopped just short of concrete barrier that crossed the ditch in what could have been an even more horrific outcome.
“I was very lucky,” Cras said. “I might have been dead if I had fallen 20cm further away when I realized I saw a concrete block.
“We were all fighting for position because we knew it was a decisive moment. Everyone was nervous,” Cras said. “I saw the first two riders of the peloton go straight. A rider hit me on my side and sent me flying like a football. I couldn’t do anything, and a second later I crashed into the ditch.”
Cras spent four nights in a Spanish hospital, and returned to Belgium this week.
“First and foremost, I’m okay depending on the circumstances,” Cras wrote on Instagram. “It will be a long way back but this is not the first time in my career. I would like to thank my team who have supported me tremendously over the past few days.”
Vine, too, expressed gratitude that he is not even more seriously injured, and remains hopeful of a full recovery.
“I’m tracking as well as can be expected, I have been able to walk around my room with the aid of a walker, and taking the first step was pretty emotional after what I’ve been through,” Vine wrote. “Waiting to get home to Andorra, but the folks in the hospital have been A + with the care I have received … Long road ahead for my recovery, but I am looking forward to getting the process rolling.”
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