The endless 273-kilometer long classic was not even halfway when the big favorites, led by Wout van Aert or Julian Alaphilippe, made their way to the ground. Slovak star Peter Sagan even had to retire after the next few kilometers. Filip Maciejuk credited such “notches” to his account…
The peloton was squeezed onto a narrower road at the point of the carom, and some competitors, including the young Pole, used the side paths on the roadside. But Maciejuk did not estimate the situation at all and drove into the deep water-soaked grass.
At that moment he confused and quickly turned the bike back onto the road. However, he pushed Tim Wellens, who did not stand up in a difficult situation. And after a few seconds, thirty competitors were lying on the asphalt. Punishment for stupidity was inevitable. Disqualification.
I’m really sorry for my mistake and causing the crash today. I hope all those involved are in good health and safe.This should not happen and was a big error in my judgement.
— Filip (@FilipMaciejuk) April 2, 2023
“I am truly sorry for my mistake in causing the massive downfall. I hope everyone involved in the incident is okay,” Maciejuk lamented in a statement on his Twitter account.
“This shouldn’t happen and it was a huge lapse in judgment on my part. It was definitely not the intention to cause this. All I can do now is apologize for my mistake and learn from it for the future,” he added. The Slovenian Tadej Pogačar dominated the race.
