Tim Wellens was to be Tadej Pogacar's right-hand man at the Tour of Flanders, but he was forced to abandon even before the climbs started. He was a victim of the first mass crash of the day and has suffered numerous collarbone fractures as a result.
The Belgian was the first rider which Bahrain - Victorious' Filip Maciejuk collided with. The Polish rider lost control of the bike after going off-road for a few meters, and has sparked a big crash at the head of the peloton. Wellens not only went down but found himself under other riders, and was possible the worst affected out of it.
Following the race he congratulated the team over it's success, as Tadej Pogacar soared into a solo victory in Oudenaarde, and also thanked fans for the messages and the medical staff for having taken care of him in the hours following the accident.
1.Congrats @TamauPogi & everyone from the team!! 😍 2.Thanks everyone for the many messages ❤️ 3.Thank you to the people working in the hospitals in Oudenaarde & Herentals 4.Collarbone in 4 pieces. A lot of pain, but should already be much better in a few days.
Sadly @Tim_Wellens sustained a broken left collarbone during a crash at the #RVV23 🇧🇪, he will undergo surgery later today. Speedy recovery Tim 🙏 #WeAreUAE
