The injury fallout from Saturday’s crash-filled Omloop Het Nieuwsblad has continued into Sunday, with Stefan Küng and Ben Swift both confirmed to have sustained major fractures that will force them out of action.
Omloop is rarely a gentle season opener, but this edition left a particularly heavy medical footprint. Teams and riders spent Saturday evening and Sunday morning clarifying the extent of injuries, with several riders treated in hospital and squads reshuffling plans immediately ahead of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
Stefan Küng to undergo surgery after femur fracture
Tudor Pro Cycling confirmed that Küng sustained a femur fracture in a crash during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The team said the injury is serious enough to require surgery, and that he will remain out of the Classics as a result.
Küng only joined Tudor this winter and would have been a cornerstone for their spring, both as a leader on hard days and as an engine capable of shaping how a race is controlled. Losing him now strips the team of a rider who can cover decisive moves, handle the repeated accelerations of Belgian racing, and still arrive late with something left to contribute.
Ben Swift diagnosed with fractured pelvis, Ineos Grenadiers confirm
Ineos Grenadiers confirmed on Sunday that Ben Swift suffered a fractured pelvis following his crash at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The team said he is under the care of their medical staff and wished him a smooth recovery. Swift’s role is not measured purely in results. As a road captain, he is one of the riders teams rely on to keep calm when the race becomes chaotic, managing positioning, timing, and decision-making when the bunch is splitting and nerves are high.
Immediate knock-on effects as teams scramble for Kuurne
The scale of crashes across the weekend has already forced teams into late changes. With Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne arriving the next day, squads have had to balance recovery and risk, calling up replacements where possible and reassessing who can reasonably race on.
Some riders are expected to start despite bruises and road rash, but femur and pelvis fractures sit at the severe end of the spectrum. These are injuries that take riders out of competition, rather than simply reducing performance.
A harsh start to the spring
The Classics build on rhythm and continuity, with teams trying to carry form, confidence, and cohesion through a tight run of races. Omloop is meant to be the opening chapter, but for Küng and Swift it has already rewritten their spring. For Tudor Pro Cycling and Ineos Grenadiers, it is a reminder of how quickly plans can unravel once the Belgian roads begin to bite.
