There was a painful sense of déjà vu for Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič on the Critérium du Dauphiné on Thursday after they had been among the many fallers within the mass crash that induced the neutralisation of stage 5.
In contrast to at Itzulia Basque Nation in April, they had been each capable of remount and experience to the end line in Saint-Priest, which urged that neither man’s Tour de France participation is beneath menace on account of a crash that noticed extra half the peloton come down.
However whereas the yellow jersey Evenepoel confirmed afterwards that he could be match to experience when the Dauphiné resumes on Friday, Roglič struck a extra cautious notice, stating that he would endure evaluation from Bora-Hansgrohe medical employees earlier than making a call.
“I can not say actually something. Now I’ll go to the medical doctors, do a verify after which we see what to do subsequent,” stated Roglič, at present second total, 33 seconds behind Evenepoel.
“The one factor is, I crashed on my shoulder, that’s not the very best, that I had surgical procedure on a few years in the past. We actually have to verify it and make sure what state it’s in.
“However for me it was positively loads higher than a few of the guys, as a result of I nonetheless rode over the end.”
Whereas Roglič was shortly again on his ft after the crash, there was initially extra quick concern for Evenepoel, who spent a while seated on the roadside clutching the shoulder he had damaged within the Itzulia crash. The Soudal-QuickStep rider was later concerned in discussions relating to the neutralisation of the stage, nevertheless, and he confirmed on the end that he had not sustained any fractures on this incident.
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“My proper facet is fairly broken however there aren’t any fractures, in any other case I’d not have been right here anymore,” Evenepoel stated within the combined zone afterwards.
“That’s the optimistic factor about my crash, I don’t have to go away the race. However I really had fairly an enormous contact on my knee. One other bike got here on my knee, and it was fairly painful, however I really thought it was worse than it’s now.”
Evenepoel and Roglič had each been compelled to abandon Itzulia Basque Nation in April after coming down in the identical crash that left Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) with accidents which may but forestall him from lining out in July.
The Critérium du Dauphiné marked the return to competitors for each Evenepoel and Roglič, in addition to their last tune-up forward of the Tour. Evenepoel beat Roglič to win Wednesday’s time trial, however he initially anxious that he had suffered one other extreme setback in Thursday’s crash.
“I used to be not indignant, nevertheless it was identical to ‘whoah, once more’ – simply 4 or 5 days into my comeback to racing,” Evenepoel stated. “I used to be feeling not upset however a bit irritated, let’s say, particularly with what’s coming in three weeks. I don’t wish to threat issues in any respect. However I believe that’s racing these days.”
Greater than half the Dauphiné peloton hit the bottom in two simultaneous crashes on a moist and slippery stretch of highway following the Côte de Bel-Air within the finale. The race organisation took the quick resolution to neutralise the stage and the day’s racing was suspended altogether as soon as it grew to become obvious that the in-race ambulances had been all occupied bringing riders to hospital.
The Visma-Lease a Bike pair of Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle deserted the Dauphiné after the crash, however loads of the riders who mushy pedalled to the end in Saint-Priest would require additional evaluation of their accidents earlier than making a call on beginning Friday’s stage.
“I used to be between tenth and fifteenth place, and I believe the riders in fourth or fifth positions began sliding,” Evenepoel defined. “Possibly they touched the wheels within the entrance, I don’t know what occurred, however at a sure level, I began to slip.
“I don’t know what occurred behind, however I used to be actually near saving it. However within the final second there was a motorbike that got here beneath my again wheel and as I used to be braking, I did a entrance flip and landed on my head and shoulder. It was a reasonably large bang, however in the long run nothing too particular from my facet. It was a little bit of a bowling recreation.
“General I am advantageous, I fell on my proper facet, nevertheless it might have been worse. I hope everybody can recuperate from that huge fall. We’ll take a look tonight at how my shoulder coped with the impression, however I am not anxious.”
Evenepoel carries a 33-second lead over Roglič into the ultimate three days of the Dauphiné, during which the race takes in three successive summit finishes, on Le Collet d’Allevard, Samoëns 1600 and the Plateau des Glières.
“We’ll see this night after his bathe what the stability sheet is for Remco,” Soudal-QuickStep supervisor Patrick Lefevere informed RTBF, although he indicated that the Belgian would proceed within the race. “I believe he wants the three days within the mountains.”
