"If you see nothing, you know nothing" - Patrick Evenepoel defends controversial TV coverage of Itzulia Basque Country crash

The TV coverage of the mass crash on stage 4 of the Itzulia Basque Country caused quite a stir on social media. With the race neutralised for over 20 minutes, viewers were forced to watch repeats of the crash itself and close up images of riders strewn across the ground and in pain.

Whilst for many, these pictures left a bad taste in the mouth, for Patrick Evenepoel, father of the Soudal - Quick-Step leader, Remco Evenepoel, who was caught up in the crash and forced to abandon the race in ambulance, being able to see his son was a reassuring sight.

"I have to say: I was relieved when I saw him walk. After that, my thoughts were mostly with Jonas Vingegaard, Jay Vine and Steff Cras. Those are also kids, partners, dads... those images go through my mind," Evenepoel senior recalls to HLN. "If you see nothing, you know nothing. We experienced it when Remco plunged into the ravine in Il Lombardia. You are only reassured when you can see him, like yesterday."

"You just want to see your child moving, what the injuries are you will hear afterwards," he continues. "If you saw Vingegaard lying there...he was barely moving and had to be given oxygen. His parents and wife see that too. The same with Steff Cras, lying there in that pit. With him too, you saw immediately that it was serious. If that concrete ditch is not there, I think the consequences are much less bad. It's because Remco has to jump that he loses control of his bike and falls. And another lucky thing that he was able to jump, because others fell full into that culvert, just like Björg Lambrecht in his fatal fall. And there the speed was even lower."

"How he jumped over that concrete ditch and flew right next to that tree...It all happened so fast. I think the Lidl-Trek rider touched Remco's rear wheel. But, that boy couldn't do anything about it," he continues. "He is now on his way by car to Belgium, to travel a bit more comfortably anyway. That scapula in particular is sore. At Herentals hospital they will now investigate further whether it is a fracture or a crack."

Nevertheless, Evenepoel senior seems relatively optimistic in the early signs of his son's recovery. "He also realises that we cannot change anything about the situation and is already planning again. You saw that with Wout van Aert too: those guys immediately turn the page," he concludes.