A serious crash involving a TV motorbike that hit roadside spectators during stage 5 of the Tour de Pologne has left four members of the public, two adults and two children, taken to hospital.
The crash took place late on the stage from Pszczyna to Bielsko-Biala on the final lap of a seven-kilometre circuit, tackled three times by the peloton.
"During the final lap there was a motorcycle accident involving 4 spectators, two adults and two children, who were immediately taken to the hospital as a precaution. None of them suffered significant injuries. Three have already left the hospital, while the last one will remain under observation overnight. The motorbike driver and the cameraman, both from France with many years of experience in World Tour races coverage suffered minor injuries,” read an official statement from race organisers that was posted to social media several hours after the end of the stage.
Race organiser Czeslaw Lang provided some information on the crash, but as yet no clear report has emerged as to how the accident happened.
No riders were reportedly injured or affected, although several, including race leader Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) witnessed the crash. The accident caused confusion in the peloton, with some riders briefly waving their hands in a sign that they wanted to stop or slow the stage.
"We wanted to stop. My heart sank, and I wasn’t thinking about the sprint at all," Mohorič stated in a team social post.
However, in a confused situation, the stage subsequently continued. Another in-race crash then occurred some 600 metres from the line, bringing down around a dozen riders in the middle of the pack.
“The situation wasn’t really complicated until up to the crash with four kilometres to go,” Mohorič, still affected by the crash when he talked to reporters, said afterwards. “When the motorbike crashed it got us all shaking.
“I was super-switched on and motivated before but then I didn’t really want to race, and the other guys also not, so we wanted to almost like stop the race.
“But some teams pushed on in the last climb, and then I needed to go because I need to also fight for the race, because of my team. But I was not really switched on, I didn’t think about the sprint, I couldn’t get my mind off what I saw. I hope everyone is all right.”
Asked what happened in the accident, Mohorič said, “I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t want to comment on it, but I hope everybody is OK.”
According to Lang, who came into the finish area to talk to reporters about the incident, “It happened in front of the peloton. A TV motorbike went off the course and went into the public.
“Four spectators have been taken to hospital. But from what I’ve heard right now, although I’m not a doctor, their lives are not in danger.”
Lang said he could not confirm who the spectators were, although he believed a woman and a child had been hurt. “I don’t have precise information yet, it’s too soon, so we’ll have to see.
“I heard from riders that the motorbike driver, who is very experienced, was trying to get ahead of the front group which was moving very fast and one of his wheels slipped. But none of the riders fell, only the public. We just hope all is well.”
The Tour de Pologne finishes on Friday in Krakow.
