A fan was hospitalized with serious injuries after an “awful, freak” high-speed pileup during Australia’s Tour Down Under (TDU), organizers said yesterday.
Video on social media showed a group of cyclists hitting the barricades on the last corner of the men’s classic sprint race around the Adelaide streets on Saturday.
One rider went over the top and into the crowd, with several spectators appearing to be thrown to the ground.
Photo: AFP
“Sadly, as a result of the collision, a female spectator suffered injuries and was taken to hospital, where she is currently being treated,” organizers said in a statement. “We are in contact with the spectator’s family and have offered our support.”
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas told local media it was an “awful, freak accident.”
“Tragically last night we did see a significant accident occur at the TDU, where cyclists went into spectators,” he said. “It’s saddening to report a woman has suffered multiple serious injuries.”
Photo: AFP
Australian race winner Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) said it was a “super-fast corner” with Italy’s Manlio Moro from the Movistar Team among the riders that crashed.
Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Team Visma) saw the pileup, which happened in front of him.
“It was quite chaotic,” he said. “A lot of people were keen, it was the first race of the season and my team did a lot of work to keep me out of trouble and keep me safe.”
The sprint race was a prelude to the main men’s six-stage event, which starts today in the UCI World Tour season-opener.
Yesterday, Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg protected her lead to win the three-stage women’s race, as American Olympic team pursuit champion Chloe Dygert surged to victory in the final stage.
Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) kept pace with the leaders heading into the final sprint in hot conditions to cross the finish line in third place behind Dygert, but enough to claim the opening race of the season.
She became only the second non-Australian winner in eight editions of the women’s TDU.
Ruegg, 23, set up her overall victory with a powerful win in Saturday’s second stage to hold a 15-second buffer over Dutch rider Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) heading into the decisive 105.9km final stage in the Adelaide Hills.
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