"I had nowhere to go and crashed head-on into the side door" - Inside the crash that ended Belgium junior sensation's World Championships
Cycling
Belgium's junior sensation Stef van Kerckhove's World Championships came to an abrupt end before they even began in Montreal after the 18-year-old collided with a car in a training crash. Expected to contest victory with Benjamin Noval, he left Canada with multiple broken vertebrae after the frightening collision.
Fortunately, he's back on the mend but described the scary incident. Noting that an inattentive driver came into his path on a straight road, he was immediately taken to hospital where scans showed that he had broken three vertebrae after already suffering four fractures of the same nature in a crash last December.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider missed out on his last chance to ride the World Championships at junior level. After his bronze in the time trial and 12th place in the road race in 2025, he was expected to rival Noval - who ultimately won both events in dominant fashion.
"A car came from the opposite direction and suddenly turned without looking. I had nowhere to go and crashed head-on into the side door. Jasper Schoofs immediately called the people from Belgian Cycling, and then I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance," he told Sporza.
Benjamin Noval won both the junior time trial and road race at the World Championships
Youngster suffered three broken vertebrae
"Fortunately, the fractures were stable and surgery was not necessary. You know, at the hospital, they initially counted seven broken vertebrae on the scans, but that included the injuries from the previous fall. So actually, there are only three new ones."
In the immediate aftermath, the young belgian found it difficult to watch the time trial itself as he missed out, but found comfort in his teammate Victor De Smet's performance. The disappointment was compounded by his strong form in the lead-up to Canada.
"To be honest, I found it difficult to watch the junior time trial in the hospital. I even had to turn off the television a few times. But fortunately, I did see Vic De Smet's silver medal. I enjoyed that immensely. It even helped me to move on.
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Decathlon junior was in good form before crash
"We both felt really good in the run-up, and I was happy that he was able to capitalise on that. Especially because the federation had done everything to get us optimally prepared. I felt really bad, especially for the national coach, that I couldn't ride along. But oh well, it was just a stupid accident."
Looking forward, it's too early to make plans for van Kerckhove, but he credits his rehabilitation of the previous vertebrae fractures as a roadmap to recovery.
He added: "I'm doing much better already. The pain is gone and I dare to think ahead again. I do need to take enough time before I am allowed to cycle again. Thanks to my previous rehabilitation, I know that normally everything will be fine again."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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