Six members of Germany’s track cycling team were hospitalized on Monday after a collision with a vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man.
Fortunately, their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening, although they did sustain multiple fractures, according to a statement from the team.
The injured cyclists include Benjamin Boos and Bruno Kessler, both medalists at the upcoming 2024 track world championships. Details about the specific injuries sustained by each rider have not been disclosed.
The cyclists were participating in a larger training group during a morning ride on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where they were preparing for the European track championships scheduled for next month in Belgium.
The accident occurred when the car struck the cyclists head-on, and team coaches witnessed the incident firsthand.
Boos and the 19-year-old Kessler were part of the German team that earned a bronze medal in team pursuit at the track world championships held in Denmark last October.
Among the injured was 24-year-old Tobias Buck-Gramcko, a former world junior champion and European bronze medalist. The other injured riders were identified as Moritz Augenstein, Max-David Briese, and Louis Gentzik.
Incidents involving professional cyclists being hit by cars are not uncommon on European roads.
One notable case is that of Remco Evenepoel, the champion of the Paris Olympics road race and time trial, who suffered severe injuries—fractures, a dislocated collarbone, and bruised lungs—during a crash in Belgium eight weeks prior.
