Lorena Wiebes has revealed she was hit from behind by a driver while out riding, posting an image of her damaged flat-bar Specialized city bike and a stark message on Instagram. The driver did not stop at the scene, though Wiebes said she escaped without serious injury.
In her Instagram story, the Dutch sprinter shared a photo of the bike, its rear tyre stripped from the rim after the impact. “Luckily I’m quite okay, but this could be way worse, especially because I got hit from the back,” she wrote. “Thanks to the 2 persons who stopped to check I’m okay.”
She closed with a pointed expression of anger about road danger for cyclists: “Also more frustrated if you see how many cyclist get killed by cars.”
No serious injuries, bike damage visible
The photo showed the rear wheel badly compromised, the tyre completely off the rim. Despite the dramatic appearance, Wiebes confirmed she had no further injuries. The bike – a flat-bar, urban model from Specialized – absorbed the worst of the impact.
Wiebes did not share details about where the collision happened, only that the driver left the scene.
A worrying pattern after several recent crashes
Wiebes’ experience follows a troubling run of incidents involving professional riders being struck by drivers this autumn and winter.
In recent weeks:
- Ellen van Dijk was hit by a driver while training, forcing a period off the bike as she recovered from injuries to her arm and hip.
- Elisa Longo Borghini was also knocked off her bike by a driver earlier this year, suffering bruising but able to return to training shortly afterwards.
- Josh Tarling reported a close pass and collision with a car mirror while out training in Wales.
- Søren Wærenskjold was involved in a collision during training in Norway, leaving him battered but thankfully without fractures.
These incidents, combined with the daily experiences of amateur cyclists across Europe, have fuelled renewed calls for better driver awareness, improved infrastructure and stronger enforcement around dangerous overtaking and hit-and-run offences.
Wiebes expected to continue training
Despite the shock, Wiebes indicated she is well enough to keep training. With the 2026 season approaching, the SD Worx-Protime sprinter will be relieved to have escaped without significant physical damage.
Her message, though, was clear: even elite riders with world-class reflexes and bike handling are vulnerable when drivers fail to give cyclists space, attention or basic respect.
If you’d like, I can also prepare a follow-up analysis on the rising number of off-season road-traffic crashes involving pro riders, or a commentary piece on cycling safety.
