UCI Gran Fondo Belgium Cancelled after Massive Pile-Up Leaves 47 Injured
The UCI Gran Fondo Belgium, was abruptly cancelled on Sunday following a catastrophic crash that involved 47 participants, with seven individuals requiring hospitalization
The race commenced under an overcast sky, but the excitement quickly turned to horror as reports indicated that a significant pile-up took place shortly after the start. Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of devastation, with cyclists and bikes strewn across the road, prompting a swift response from emergency services.
“It’s chaos. More than twenty people have to been taken away by ambulance. Some are still waiting for another ambulance. All around me is broken carbon bikes and rider with broken bones. Blood everywhere, really bad,” recounted Rick Groeneweg, a participant who witnessed the traumatic event firsthand.
The crash reportedly began when a few riders at the front of the peloton began to elbow each each other, leading to a loss of balance for one cyclist. In a desperate attempt to avoid the initial fall, riders swerved left, resulting in a domino effect that brought down over 150 riders at high speed.
Another participant described the scene: “A few riders started to elbow each other at the front right of the peloton. Someone lost their balance and fell. To avoid the fall, everyone moved to the left, and the big crash occurred.”
The aftermath was described as “pure chaos.” Witnesses noted that broken bikes littered the roadway and that injured riders were lying on the side of the road as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing about five ambulances on site to assist those injured.
Seb Mansfield from the UK, "What a joke! I travelled from the UK for this event just to get turned around after 8km…. I feel sorry for the riders affected but SURLY this should be accounted for!!! At least let us ride around and continue the race. There was NO communication and the WORST event I have ever been to. The organisation is a disgrace and we should all be refunded ASAP!!!!!"
In light of the tragic circumstances, the event organizers made the difficult decision to cancel the race and announced:
“Following a massive fall involving many leading runners of the UCI Gran Fondo event, the organization, in coordination with the authorities and security services, had to make the decision to neutralize and then cancel the UCI Gran Fondo event.
"Indeed, the large number of runners involved in this fall required the mobilization of security services dedicated to the event. The resumption of the race depended on the availability of these emergency services, which unfortunately was no longer the case."
"The organization had put in place the safety and rescue devices necessary for the smooth running of the event. And this on the basis of legal obligations and recommendations from the authorities. That is, 4 ambulances, 2 emergency doctors and medical teams dedicated to the management of the race. The police very quickly secured the perimeter to allow medical teams to intervene in the most optimal way possible."
"The only concern of the organization being to guarantee the safety of all, no other decision than the cancellation of the race was possible."
"We understand the disappointment caused by this decision and are sincerely sorry.”