Tiesj Benoot suffered a fracture in his neck on Monday after a fall during a training ride in Livigno, Italy. The Jumbo-Visma rider says his situation is stable.
It is not yet known exactly what caused Benoot’s crash. Belgian and French media write that the Belgian may have been hit by a car, but that has not yet been confirmed.
“I want to let everyone know that I’m okay,” Benoot writes in a message on Instagram. “I am still in the hospital, where I receive good medical care. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I have never been in mortal danger. My situation is stable. Thanks everyone for the kind messages. I am now focusing on my recovery.”
The 28-year-old Benoot was in Italy for a family outing, which he combined with an altitude internship. Jumbo-Visma expects that he will no longer be in action this season. Benoot would, among other things, be at the start of the World Cycling Championships in September.
Last month Benoot participated in the Tour de France. As a servant, he made an important contribution to the overall victory of the Danish leader Jonas Vingegaard. Benoot himself finished in twentieth place in the general classification.
Benoot, who has been driving for Jumbo-Visma since this year, has booked three victories in his career so far. In 2018 he wrote Strade Bianche to his name. He then won stages in the Tour of Denmark (2019) and Paris-Nice (2020).