6 Giant-Alpecin cyclists hurt in Spanish road crash

Six cyclists from German team Giant-Alpecin were injured when a car driver, understood to be on the wrong side of the road, crashed into them in Benigembla near Alicante, in south-east Spain, on Saturday.

John Degenkolb, Warren Barguil, Chad Haga, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam and Max Walscheid were all taken to hospital in Alicante.

"During the training ride, a car coming the other direction rode into the group of riders head on. The riders were riding side by side on their own side of the road," Giant-Alpecin said in a statement.

The driver of the car was an Englishwoman who was on the wrong side of the road when the accident occurred, according to the emergency services.

Degenkolb said that he required stitches and that one finger was severely damaged.

"Given the circumstances, I am fine," the German wrote on his Facebook page after needing stitches in his thigh, forearm and lip.

He added he was being transported to a larger hospital in Valencia after his left index finger had been partly detached in the accident.

"Everyone on the team is in shock right now, and there are some major issues that we need to take care of, but we also realise that we have had some luck on our side," said team physician Anko Boelens.

Barguil was initially reported to be one of the most severely injured, but his uncle and agent Sebastien Michon believes he has escaped with just a broken wrist.

"Warren is suffering from a broken wrist although this remains to be confirmed," he told French regional newspaper Le Telegramme.

"Fortunately, that is his only fracture. He also injured his knee, it is a flesh wound and the doctors prefer to think positively.

"One thing is certain, the worst has been avoided "

In 2012 Spanish cyclist Victor Cabedo was killed after being run over on a training run in Almedijar near Valencia.
Source :AFP