
Team Flanders - Baloise is having the best season of its history in a while thanks to their young sprinter Tom Crabbe's two victories at Etoile de Besseges and two weeks later at the Vuelta a Andalucia. But not everyone is on a cloud nine at the moment. Such is the case for Leander Van Hautegem who crashed in a training on Tuesday.
Sporza reports that Van Hautegem crashed during a training in the Koppenberg forest on his gravel bike when things went wrong. He was left undiscovered "for a long time" before a ranger discovered the battered rider.
He was evacuated from the scene by a MUG team (emergeny service) and fire brigade and taken to hospital in nearby Gent.
Team Flanders - Baloise informed about the extent of Van Hautegem's injuries via team website: "More bad luck for Team Flanders-Baloise. After a serious crash during training, Leander Van Hautegem was transported to Ghent University Hospital. The unfortunate Kluisbergen resident suffered a severe concussion, a collapsed lung, and two cracked ribs. Get well soon, Leander!"
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The 22-year-old had just completed the Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne this past Sunday in a 95th place with the "gruppetto" alongside Jonathan Milan, Biniam Girmay, or teammate Crabbe.
The man who will celebrate his 23rd birthday next Monday communicated afterwards "I'm Okay" via Instagram short. A positive message given the severity of his injuries. Let's hope for a swift recovery.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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