Tiesj Benoot crashed while training alone in Livigno in Italy on Monday resulting in several fractures and spelling an early end to his 2022 season, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
The report in the Belgian newspaper, which did not identify its source, said the 28 year old Jumbo-Visma rider came off the bike on a descent but it wasn’t clear whether or not a car was involved.
“He sustained multiple fractures in the accident, but no vital organs were hit and Benoot is not in a life-threatening condition,” Het Laatste Nieuws said. “The exact nature of his injuries was not communicated.”
Benoot, who won Paris-Nice in 2020 and Strade Bianche in 2018, had a lean season in 2021 however he quickly found his way back to the podium after a late shift from Team DSM to Jumbo-Visma this year. His new team were quick to recognise his value as both a support rider and one that could also take his own chances, delivering a swift extension of his contract before the Tour de France to secure the rider from Belgium through to the end of 2025.
The extension came after Benoot proved a valuable ally to compatriot Wout van Aert in the spring and then landed on the podium with a second and third as he took the reins for the team at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Amstel Gold Race. The rider slotted back into a support role at Critérium du Dauphiné, where Primož Roglič took victory, and then he worked for Jonas Vingegaard as he rode into yellow at the Tour de France.
Benoot then carried through after the Tour de France, taking the opportunity to go for his own result at the climb-heavy Clásica San Sebastián. He came third after Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) rode to victory following an attack at 44km to go.
After taking to the podium again, his third time this year, Benoot was taking a race break with the altitude training in Livigno preparation for the second part of the season. That was expected to include a crucial support role for Van Aert, not with Jumbo-Visma this time but with the team from Belgium at the Road World Championships in Australia in September.
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