Roger De Vlaeminck (78) hospitalised following car accident: Belgian legend and outspoken Pogacar critic injured in New Year's Eve scare
Cycling
Belgian cycling icon Roger De Vlaeminck has been hospitalised after being involved in a car accident on New Year’s Eve, suffering minor injuries in what has been described as a frightening overnight incident.
The 78-year-old, a four-time Paris–Roubaix winner and one of the most outspoken figures in cycling history, was driving home from Bilzen to his residence in Kaprijke when the crash occurred, according to a report by HLN.
The long return journey, estimated at around 155 kilometres, ended abruptly in Zelzate, where De Vlaeminck’s car left the road and ended up in a ditch.
Local reports indicate that the vehicle overturned. Despite the severity of the accident, De Vlaeminck was able to climb out of the car himself, although he was reportedly disoriented at the scene. He was taken to hospital in Sint-Niklaas for treatment, where doctors confirmed he had sustained only light injuries.
Out of danger after overnight incident
While the incident naturally raised concern given De Vlaeminck’s age, the initial medical assessment has been reassuring. The former classics specialist is understood to be conscious and under observation, with no life-threatening injuries reported.
The accident occurred after De Vlaeminck had spent New Year’s Eve with his partner in Bilzen, a routine he has previously spoken about publicly due to the distance between their homes. The crash happened during the early hours of 1 January, turning what should have been a quiet return into a serious scare.
A familiar name back in the headlines
De Vlaeminck’s hospitalisation comes just months after he found himself at the centre of global cycling debate for very different reasons. Late in 2025, the Belgian legend went viral following a series of controversial comments in which he sharply criticised modern stars including Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel.
In his most widely shared remarks, De Vlaeminck dismissed comparisons between Pogacar and Eddy Merckx, declaring that the Slovenian “isn’t fit to lace Merckx’s shoes” and insisting that, were he still racing today, Pogacar “wouldn’t be dropping me” in the mountains. He also labelled the reigning world champion “overrated”, comments that spread rapidly across social media and cycling media worldwide.
Pogacar’s restrained response
When asked publicly about De Vlaeminck’s criticism weeks later, Pogacar declined to escalate the debate. Instead, he offered a calm, measured response that stood in stark contrast to the tone of the original remarks.
“I evaluate myself,” Pogacar said. “If someone overrates me, it doesn’t bother me. If someone underrates me, it doesn’t bother me either. It doesn’t change anything in my life.”
The exchange highlighted a familiar clash of eras and personalities — De Vlaeminck as cycling’s unfiltered traditionalist, Pogacar as the modern champion uninterested in public sparring.
Focus now firmly on recovery
For now, however, those debates have faded into the background. The priority is De Vlaeminck’s recovery following a New Year’s Eve accident that could easily have had far more serious consequences.
A towering figure in Belgian sport and one of the most recognisable voices in cycling history, De Vlaeminck has rarely shied away from controversy. This time, though, attention has shifted from his words to his wellbeing — with relief that the legendary former rider escaped a frightening crash with only minor injuries.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026
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