Although the win of Peter Sagan has been the highlight of the day, the Tour de Suisse came with a downfall too. The event took a turn for the dark when Kasper Asgreen of team QuickStep-AlphaViny and Max Schachmann of the team Bora-Hansgrohe met with a crash. With just 4 km left to the finish line, both riders tumbled into a fall and had to withdraw.
Max Schachmann will be seen racing again in stage 4, but the crash meant an end of the tour for Kasper Asgreen as his team confirmed his withdrawal.
Schachmann had a great start to the day and became part of the front group. He was riding alongside Geraint Thomas. Geraint Thomas was just 4 seconds ahead of the German. Victory seemed within the grasp of the 28-year-old, but unfortunately, he hit the pavement. His teammate Frederik Wandahl also got caught up in the crash.
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The team director of Bora-Hansgrohe, Jens Zemke, gave a statement following the crash and said:
Today was supposed to be a sprinter’s stage, yet it was very demanding with 3,100 meters of elevation gain over 178 kilometers. The guys worked well together, but unfortunately, there was a big crash in the last five kilometers involving Max and Frederik
Max managed to finish the race, but he fell 15 places in the GC because h finished 53 seconds behind Sagan. Wandahl completed the race more than 3 minutes before him.
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On the other hand, the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl star Asgreen could not finish the race after crashing. It is unfortunate because the 27-year-old was 17th overall in the first two days of the race. He suffered multiple road rashes and a deep cut on his leg which needed stitches. His team made an official statement clarifying that he will not be seen in stage 4:
As a consequence of the crash, Kasper has multiple road rash on the arms and legs and a deep wound on his left knee, which needed stitches. After further medical examinations, it has been decided he will not start Wednesday’s stage 4 to Brunnen, so that his body can recover
Although the Danish cyclist is disappointed on being a part of the race anymore, he wishes his teammates luck and is supportive of them. He said:
I want to thank the team’s medical staff for how they looked after me and at the same time express my hope that the recovery will be a fast one. Best of luck to my teammates for the next days
We wish the two stars a speedy recovery.
Also Read: Peter Sagan Takes First Victory After Nine Months
Featured Image Via YouTube/ All The Cycling
1 thought on “A Horrible Crash Unfolds At The Tour de Suisse”
Oh no. Hope Kasper gets well soon