Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier was seriously injured in a high-speed crash during the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, Trek-Segafredo confirmed on Monday.
While all of Eritrea celebrated the historic Gent-Wevelgem victory of his compatriot Biniam Girmay, the 27-year-old climbing talent Ghebreigzabhier was being treated in the emergency department of the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona for a long list of injuries.
Trek-Segafredo doctor Manuel Rodrìguez Alonso said in a team press release that he had "suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash" including severe contusions on the right side of his chest, which took the brunt of the blow of the fall in the final kilometres of the final stage, won by Andrea Bagioli (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl).
"Comprehensive scans showed that he has a severe contusion of the right hemithorax (chest) and abdomen, including damage to multiple organs, as well as rib and vertebrae fractures," Rodrìguez Alonso stated. "Amanuel is currently in a stable condition and undergoing conservative treatment by the medical team in Barcelona. He will remain in hospital as doctors continue to observe his evolving condition over the next few days to determine whether surgery will be required."
Ghebreigzabhier, a four-time African Continental champion, is in his sixth season at the WorldTour level, having raced with Dimension Data/NTT before moving to Trek-Segafredo in 2021. He has had two top-10 stage finishes and a sixth place overall at the Tour du Var. He is scheduled to race the Vuelta a España later this season but it is unsure when he will be able to return to training, much less competition.
"It will take several months for Amanuel to resume racing but fortunately, up until now, there has not been any irreversible damage," Rodrìguez Alonso said.
