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Suspected collarbone fracture for Orica-Scott pro after collision with car while training - but Spanish police say it was his faultJens Keukeleire (picture credit Orica-Scott).PNG

Suspected collarbone fracture for Orica-Scott pro after collision with car while training - but Spanish police say it was his fault

Unhappy return to Spain for Vuelta stage winner Jens Keukeleire, who may miss Spring Classics campaign
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Feb 17, 2017 12:39
3

Orica-Scott rider Jens Keukeleire may miss most of the Spring Classics campaign after sustaining a suspected broken collarbone while training in Spain when he was hit by a motorist who was turning right – but police say it was the Belgian rider’s fault because he was undertaking the vehicle at the time.

According to the website Ciclo 21, the incident happened yesterday near Benidorm. Keukeleire, winner of a stage in last year’s Vuelta, had stayed in Spain for a training block in the past week or so after competing in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and two one-day races earlier this month.

He told the website: "I was finishing what was to be my last training session in Spain before returning to Belgium tomorrow. I collided with a car that was making a right turn.”

The driver of the car remained with Keukeleire until paramedics and police arrived at the scene, and according to an initial police report is not being blamed for the incident.

Officers said that the crash was Keukeleire’s fault, since he undertaking the car with the driver correctly signalling his intention to turn right.

The 28-year-old, who joined the Australian WorldTour team in 2012, will have to undergo tests before it can be established whether or not his collarbone is indeed broken, but he fears the worst, saying “I had the same feeling last time I suffered a similar injury.”

He also sustained a facial wound and grazing to his arm and leg. Pictures on the Ciclo 21 site show that the crash destroyed the front wheel of his bike, and the website added that his helmet was completely broken.

The incident comes a little more than a year after a British pensioner driving in Spain drove into the Giant-Alpecin team while they were on a training ride, putting six riders in hospital including John Degenkolb.

As a result of his injuries, the German rider was unable to defend the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix titles he had won the previous year.

> Degenkolb and team out of hospital after Giant Alpecin crash

Orica-Scott
Jens Keukeleire
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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3 comments

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cdamian | 7 years ago
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As far as I understand undertaking and filtering is OK if the cars are standing still.

When the police does stop me I suddenly loose all of my Spanish and English skills and pretend to only speak German 1 Worked so far, except the one time I had to pay 120 Euro for cycling with headphones.

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A2thaJ | 7 years ago
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I went cycling round there last year. I was cycling up a hill, passing stationary traffic on the right hand side (so pavement - car). I rode towards a policeman (as i wanted directions). The policeman then started waving me down quick assertively and proceeded to speak spanish very quickly.

 

In my poor spanish, i explained i didnt know what he was on about. By the time i worked out that he didnt want me undercutting the cars i apologised, said i didnt know and wouldnt do it again. He asked for my passport which i didnt have. He spoke spanish quickly for abit longer, and then gave up. I pleasently said good by and apologised and went on my way.

 

From whats described in the article and the attitude of the policeman i met, i'd say he was in the wrong and they take a strict view on the rules of the road they have set out.

 

To be fair, i think in spain cyclists are well respected on the road, the tradeoff is that the rules they do have need to be respected back.

 

In the Uk, the problem is we dont really have any clear rules (just guidance) and most of that puts you (on a bike) in danger/at risk.

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alansmurphy | 7 years ago
1 like

Jens is keeping quiet so he may have been at fault though the road looks pretty quiet sunlikely to be queing traffic - pass and right turn with lack of consideration for how quickly a pro rider was moving?

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