Maxim Van Gils fractured his pelvis

Maxim Van Gils’ spring cycling session is seriously compromised. The Belgian rider fractured his pelvis following a nasty yet probably avoidable crash during the Clasica Jaén, held Monday in Spain. The news was released by his team, Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, via its social channels. “He will miss the next few months of racing,” the statement read.

Just after the solo finish of Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates-XRG), the winner on the Andalusian dirt roads, teammate Jan Christen, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) and Van Gils sprinted for second place.

When the Briton took an early lead in the sprint, the Swiss suddenly changed his trajectory, moving from right to left and running over the Belgian, who ended up violently against the barriers. Christen, initially third, was demoted for the dangerous maneuver, thus leaving the podium to Frenchman Benoît Cosnefroy. But much worse went to poor Van Gils.