Jenthe Biermans had all the luck in the world in the descent from Passo del Mortirolo at the end of fifteenth stage. The Belgian made a mistake in a technical section and his red Arkéa - B&B Hotels jersey quickly disappeared in the ravine. Luckily his fall was stopped with relatively soft landing on a tree after few tumbles and, once Biermans was rescued, he got back on the bike and managed to finish the stage.
"I misjudged a bend during the descent. The result was a very bad fall." Biermans described the situation to Sporza. He was eventually helped by a number of his colleagues. "Four teams immediately started looking for me. I was at least 25-30 meters deep in a ravine. Gianni Meersman and some men from Intermarché - Wanty, among others, came immediately. I want to thank them," he said.
The 28-year-old rider was understandably scared. "The first moment I couldn't move anymore. I continued to tumble after my fall and eventually came to a stop around a tree. I also lost my communication during the fall, so they couldn't find me right away," said Biermans, who eventually continued on his way after being fished out of the ravine.
"I climbed back on the bike and then continued with the last gruppetto. I crossed the line thanks to a lot of support from other boys and character," he said. The question now is what Biermans has gained from his fall. "Now we are going to do radio checks and hope that there are no fractures. My hip, lower back and foot really don't feel good," he concluded before heading out to hospital for a medical check-up.
Disavventura incredibile per Biermans 😬 Il velocista si è ritrovato in un burrone dopo una caduta senza poter contattare l'ammiraglia, ma grazie all'aiuto di alcuni colleghi è riuscito non solo a tornare in bici ma anche a completare la tappa #EurosportCICLISMO #GirodItalia
