The final of the fourth stage in the Vuelta was shocked by a crash. And some riders have had to give up.
Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) was one of the victims of the heavy crash just over three kilometers from the finish. No fractures were found on Tuesday evening, but a wound in his knee forces him to give up on Wednesday.
“I woke up today and the wound was still too deep.
For Goossens, the Vuelta was the first race in four months after he had to recover from a corona infection and an infection for a long time. After Laurens De Plus in stage 1, Goossens is the second Belgian to give up in this Vuelta.
Kobe Goossens stops #LaVuelta23 ????????
“The wound to my knee is too deep. I’m mentally out, sometimes cycling is cruel. I’m going home to recover. I wish the team all the best, they will do good.”
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– Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) August 30, 2023
Sprinter Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), who rode the top ten five times in the Tour, also has to go home after the fall. He feared a fracture in his shoulder blade on Tuesday. “I’ve broken my scapula before and I’m afraid there’s some damage now,” he told Eurosport.
It is not clear whether Coquard actually broke something, but he will certainly not start the fifth stage in the Vuelta.
