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Bakelants remains hospitalized after Il Lombardia horror crash

By Cycling News

published 8 October 2017

De Plus returns home after flying into ravine off the Sormano

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Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Laurens de Plus (Quick-Step Floors) crashed into a ravine on the Sormano descent(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Laurens de Plus feeling the effort of the climb(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Jan Bakelants talks with reporters after GP de Montreal(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Belgian Jan Bakelants remained in the intensive care unit of the Sant'Anna hospital in Como, Italy on Sunday, unable to be moved from his bed due to an unstable fracture to his third lumbar vertebrae (L3), according to Sporza.

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Bakelants, Petilli, Martinez injured in crash into ravine off Sormano

The AG2R La Mondiale rider was one of four riders to crash in a tricky bend on the descent from the Sormano inside the final 50km of Il Lombardia on Saturday.

The first rider to crash, Laurens De Plus (Quick-Step Floors), was filmed hitting the guardrail and flying over the edge into a ravine. The race medical report erroneously reported that he was treated and released from the Cantu hospital.

His team Tweeted on Sunday that he had just been discharged and was heading back to Belgium where he would undergo further examinations. He injured his right leg and sustained contusions on his right arm and knee after tumbling down the embankment into some small trees.

Bakelants reportedly fell further into the ravine, suffering seven broken ribs and fractures to his L1 and L3 vertebrae. The AG2R La Mondiale team reported Saturday that the L3 fracture would require further examinations.

Sporza reported that Bakelants' family was travelling to Italy to be with him. It is unclear whether he will need surgery to correct the break.

There has been no update to the condition of Simone Petilli (UAE Team Emirates), who is hospitalized in Varese with a concussion, broken bones in his neck, D1 vertebra, a fractured right collarbone and a broken right shoulder blade.