Portugal Colonial - Olympic champion Evenepoel breaks hand, shoulder in postal van collision

The 24-year-old's team Soudal Quick-Step revealed the extent of his injuries as the Belgian was transferred to a specialist hospital for a procedure on his shoulder.

"Following an incident while training today, Remco Evenepoel was taken to hospital where it was revealed that he has sustained fractures to his rib, right shoulder blade and his right hand," they said in a statement.

Later Quick-Step issued an update on Evenepoel, who will be off the bike for at least the next fortnight.

"Examinations have also revealed contusions on both lungs and a luxation of the clavicle," they said.

"The clavicle will be operated on this evening, which if successful, should allow Remco to leave hospital tomorrow.

"There will then be a two-week period of immobilisation required following this, after which a plan for his return to training can be made."

Evenepoel has a history of dramatic crashes, including plunging into a ravine in Italy in 2020, being brought down in full flight by a dog at last year's Giro d'Italia, and early this season he suffered a high-speed downhill fall during the Tour of the Basque Country.

He won both the individual time trial and the road race at the Paris Olympics and took the best young rider's jersey at the Tour de France in July.

Evenepoel successfully defended his world time-trial title in Zurich in September and won the 2022 Vuelta a Espana.

His last major race of the season was October's Il Lombardia, where he finished in second place.

Despite his training absence, it is not immediately clear what impact the injuries will have on his racing plans.

In 2025, Evenepoel plans to race one-day races Milan-San Remo in March and Liege-Bastogne-Liege the following month as well as July's Tour de France and possibly the Giro d'Italia, starting in May.

Witnesses to the accident in Brussels on Tuesday said Evenepoel, a former international youth footballer, lay stricken and ashen-faced but conscious, with a bar on his bike broken in two by the force of the impact.

Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere said Evenepoel had called him shortly after the fall, explaining a postwoman had opened a door of the stationary van as he cycled past it.

M.Carneiro--PC