"I would have been dead if I’d fallen 20cm further away" - Steff Cras feared death after Itzulia crash and 'couldn't breathe for thirty seconds'

Steff Cras has shown great legs over recent years as a developing stage-racer but luck has not been on his side. After crashing out of the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de France last year, he once again bounced back. Building up to the 2024 Tour, he raced Itzulia Basque Country but almost ended up losing his life.

Cras was one of the many riders who went down in the mass crash at Itzulia Basque Country. He suffered a lot after crashing into the concrete ditch which left him with two fractured vertebrae, two fractured ribs and a punctured lung. “I was scared to death because I couldn't breathe for thirty seconds," the Belgian rider reveals in terrifying words to La Dernière Heure. 

The TotalEnergies rider's words speak for themselves: "I only had one functioning lung. I had a brush with death. I realised when I saw the concrete block that I would have been dead if I’d fallen 20cm further away. Honestly, I was very lucky.”

Despite the horrific crash, Cras confirms that his ambitions remain in the 2024 Tour. He is joined by Jonas Vingegaard as a rider who has a tight schedule to recover his best form ahead of July. Primoz Roglic is back on the bike in the meantime on the rollers, Remco Evenepoel should return soon also indoors whilst Jay Vine has no date on a return to cycling.