"My elbow, back, and hips are scraped open..." - Remco Evenepoel in pain; explains unexpected Catalunya crash

Remco Evenepoel hid his cards during the hilly phase of the third day at the Volta a Catalunya but put them on full display at the end of the day, launching an attack on the flat section of the stage. He was followed by Jonas Vingegaard, but the aggressive stance ended up in a crash inside the final kilometer, to the disbelief of many.

The crash came out of absolute nowhere, with the TV broadcast nearly missing it. The two entered the final kilometer of the race with several seconds over the peloton, and when the TV director switched to the fixed camera at the finish, only Jonas Vingegaard was left in front.

Behind, Evenepoel was left on the ground, battered and bruised with several bloody areas in his body. It was a rough fall, which was not fully clear to anyone, even Jonas Vingegaard who was riding alongside him.

What really happened? In words reported by Het Laatste Nieuws, Evenepoel explains: “I wanted to go to my drops and just at that moment there was a pothole that I hadn't seen and that wasn't marked. That's when I lost control of my handlebars".

It was not just a regular fall. Evenepoel crashed with speed but above all, crashed out of nowhere, and most likely lacked the time to brace himself for the fall. His equipment was torn to bits in the back area, with blood in his elbows and arms quite visible.

However, it was the Olympic Champion himself who came out of the bus a few minutes after the finish to address the media. “I have a bit of pain everywhere. My elbow, back, and hips are scraped open. We will see what the precise consequences are for the rest of this week..."

These words came not too long after the fall, but the lack of concern over potential fractures is ultimately a good sign. In all likelihood the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider remains in the race, but it is very possible that the crash will hamper his performance in the upcoming key stages.

"I need to let my body recover a bit now and see how things go tonight and especially tomorrow morning," he anticipates. "The elbow is hit quite hard; we'll see what's possible.”

Whilst in the bigger picture it now matters to little, he was also asked about the attack together with Jonas Vingegaard, which was almost successful. In a brief comment, he responded: “I rode to win. That was our intention today with the crosswinds as well.”