“He is the culprit, but he is not to blame”: how Gaviria caused the fall in the final
Video credit: Eurosport
The Tour stops here for Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural) and Jenno Berkmoes (Lotto Intermarché), injured in the heavy multi-rider crash that interrupted the sprint won by Belgian Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick Step) in Chalon-sur-Saône on Thursday in stage 12 of the Tour de France.
Gaviria fell first, about 350 meters from the finish. The 31-year-old Colombian, winner of two Tour stages in 2018, broke his left collarbone, Caja Rural said.
Merlier, stopping before releasing the horses: his mutant sprint to victory
Video credit: Eurosport
Godon does not have a concussion
Berkmoes also broke his collarbone and will undergo surgery in Belgium on Friday. His teammate and compatriot Liam Slok mainly suffers from “bruises on both elbows and right thigh“, reports Lotto Intermarché. His team hopes for this at the start of the stage on Friday, linking Dole with Belfort.
Also involved in the incident, Frenchman Dorian Godon (Netcompany-Ineos) suffered from superficial injuries and muscle pain in the back, but an examination showed no signs of a concussion, his team said in the evening. With Gaviria and Berkmoes, that’s 12 refusals since leaving Barcelona.