Belgian cyclist Steff Cras said he was convinced he was about to die as he flew off the road in a mass crash at the Tour of the Basque Country last week.
Cras, who rides for TotalEnergies, was one of several riders, including two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard and 2022 Vuelta champion Remco Evenepoel, who were hospitalised after the fall on a downhill corner on 4 April.
Zware valpartij in Baskenland(de Ronde van het Baskenland-Spanje) 0404024 / Heavy crash in the Basque Country (the Tour of the Basque Country-Spain) pic.twitter.com/gDkQaniFXy
— john l (@Maeestro) April 5, 2024
"I almost died. I realised when I saw the concrete block that I'd be dead within 20 centimetres," said Cras in an interview quoted by Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure on Tuesday.
"Honestly, I was very lucky."
Ook Steff Cras terug in België na zware crash in Baskenland: “Ik had morsdood kunnen zijn” https://t.co/Y8WTrROiJi pic.twitter.com/gvItzov9QK
— Nieuwsblad Sport (@nieuwsbladsport) April 9, 2024
The 28-year-old suffered lung damage and four broken ribs in the fall.
"I was scared to death because I couldn't breathe for 30 seconds," he said. "I only had one functioning lung."
He left hospital in San Sebastian on Monday and said he was due to undergo tests in a Belgian hospital on Tuesday, "hoping that they do not find any other injuries".
Vingegaard's hopes of a third successive Tour de France victory are now in doubt after the Dane suffered lung damage, broken ribs and a broken collarbone.
"Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone," his Visma-Lease a Bike team said on X on Tuesday.
"He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take."
Update on Jonas Vingegaard:
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) April 9, 2024
Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone.
He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take.
He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few…
Evenepoel broke his collarbone and underwent surgery at the weekend. Jay Vine and Sean Quinn were also hospitalised.
Primoz Roglic, who took down Cras, also fell, but suffered no fractures.
Cras said he was catapulted "like a football by another rider" but hopes to be back for the Tour de France which starts on June 29.
He was forced to abandon last year after being knocked down by a spectator who had stepped into the road on Stage 8.