A serious crash involving a TV motorbike that hit roadside spectators during stage 5 of the Tour de Pologne has left four members of the public, two adults and two children, in hospital.
The crash took place late on the stage from Pszczyna to Bielsko-Biala on the final lap of a seven-kilometre circuit, tackled three times by the peloton. Race organiser Czeslaw Lang provided some information on the crash, but as yet no clear report has emerged as to how the accident happened.
No riders were reportedly injured or affected, although several, including race leader Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) witnessed the crash.
The accident caused confusion in the peloton, with some riders briefly waving their hands in a sign that they wanted to stop or slow the stage.
However, in a confused situation, the stage subsequently continued. Another in-race crash then occurred some 600 metres from the line, bringing down around a dozen riders in the middle of the pack.
“The situation wasn’t really complicated until up to the crash with four kilometres to go,” Mohorič, still affected by the crash when he talked to reporters, said afterwards. “When the motorbike crashed it got us all shaking.
“I was super-switched on and motivated before but then I didn’t really want to race, and the other guys also not, so we wanted to almost like stop the race.
“But some teams pushed on in the last climb, and then I needed to go because I need to also fight for the race, because of my team. But I was not really switched on, I didn’t think about the sprint, I couldn’t get my mind off what I saw. I hope everyone is all right.”
Asked what happened in the accident, Mohorič said, “I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t want to comment on it, but I hope everybody is OK.”
According to Lang, who came into the finish area to talk to reporters about the incident, “It happened in front of the peloton. A TV motorbike went off the course and went into the public.
“Four spectators have been taken to hospital. But from what I’ve heard right now, although I’m not a doctor, their lives are not in danger.”
Lang said he could not confirm who the spectators were, although he believed a woman and a child had been hurt. “I don’t have precise information yet, it’s too soon, so we’ll have to see.
“I heard from riders that the motorbike driver, who is very experienced, was trying to get ahead of the front group which was moving very fast and one of his wheels slipped….
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