Update: Lotto-Belisol rider found unconscious on roadside
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Frederik Willems (Lotto-Belisol) at the 2014 Tour de San Luis(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frederik Willems (Lotto-Belisol) high fives his daughter(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frederik Willems congraulates Kris Boeckmans who thought he'd won stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné in a photo finish sprint(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frederik Willems surrounded by his Lotto-Belisol teammates(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
While out for a training ride on Sunday, Lotto-Belisol's Frederik Willems crashed heavily on his left hand side. The 34-year-old was riding near his hometown of Eeklo when he fell on his collarbone.
In the crash Willems also suffered a fractured shoulder blade, rib fractures and a concussion. He was taken to the hospital in Eeklo where he will undergo surgery for his injuries in the next few days, when his condition has stabilised.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, the 33-year-old was found unconscious by the side of the road by a group of hobby cyclists. “Frederik remembers little of what happened,” his wife Elke said.
His manager Jef Van den Bosch said, “Frederik thinks he was doing a series of sprints. In one of those sprints he probably went over head first. It must have been a hard blow judging by the nature of the injuries. It was thought at first that it was a hit and run, but there now seems to be no question of that.” “Whether he will race again this season is questionable.”
Willems, whose contract expires the end of this season, had been scheduled to ride the Eneco Tour, which starts next week.
