Katrijn De Clercq suffered a serious crash in the final 40 kilometres of Le Samyn des Dames on Tuesday, leaving her with multiple injuries. The 23-year-old had to abandon the race and was taken to hospital, where scans confirmed a fractured chin, a broken pinky finger, and a sprained knee. Despite the impact to her head, doctors ruled out a concussion.
The incident also saw Nora Jencusova go down, while Eloise Camire was caught up in the fallout. De Clercq’s Lotto teammate Lucy Benezet-Minns was among the first to check on her as she lay on the roadside.
Lotto later issued a statement on De Clercq’s condition:
“Katrijn De Clercq suffered a heavy crash during Le Samyn des Dames. She sustained a broken chin and a broken little finger from her crash and sprained her knee. Hospital examinations revealed no concussion. We are thinking of Katrijn and wish her a good recovery.”
Even after she had been transported to hospital, the crash site remained a concern, with an ambulance still positioned on the course as the peloton navigated its way past on the following lap.
Main photo credit: brecht.steenhouwer
