Yves Lampaert crashes after colliding with spectator in Paris-Roubaix
'If you don't know anything about the race, stay home. For me that is dramatic, because there was still a podium place in it,' says Belgian rider.
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Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) saw his chances of a podium place go up in smoke after he collided with a spectator in Paris-Roubaix.
The incident happened with just 7.1km to go with Lampaert sitting in the second group on the road alongside Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious).
The pair were chasing down lone leader and eventual winner Dylan van Baarle and were racing through the final cobbled sector of the race when the crash took place. They hugged the right hand side of the road with Lampaert leading Mohorič as they looked to secure second and third on the Roubaix velodrome.
The Belgian appeared to clip a spectator on the side of the road, and despite a desperate attempt to keep himself upright he weaved to the left before crashing hard. The fan could clearly be seen standing closer to the rider than other spectators, and had their arms out clapping just as Lampaert raced by.
He was then caught by a number of groups before receiving a bike change. Lampaert eventually finished tenth in the race.
“Yes, those are situations that should not happen in the race. It’s a shame”, Lampaert told Het Nieuwsblad after the finish.
“I want to cut that right turn and normally the supporters go backwards. But that man brings his arm forward and hits my arm. As a result, I lost control of the wheel and I had no response. If you don’t know anything about the race, stay home. For me that is dramatic, because there was still a podium place in it. Mohoric and Van Baarle were stronger than me, third place was perhaps just achievable.”