11/08/2022

"The door of the car was dented, the mirror was off, the windows were broken" - Tiesj Benoot describes horror training crash

Tiesj Benoot recently suffered a season-ending crash, one however that could've been much worst, as he was training at altitude in Livigno together with Wout van Aert to prepare the final months of the season and more specifically the World championships.

In conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian has described his accident: “I was descending and driving on a long straight. I wasn't even riding that fast. I went to look back, I reached something of a 67 km/h. Suddenly the car crossed a parking lot," he said. "Didn't he look or did he think he could pass quickly, I don't know. I've ridden it full on and I've barely even been able to brake. The door of the car was dented, the mirror was off, the windows were broken…”

Preview: Vuelta a Espana 2022. Final Grand Tour prepares for fireworks over brutal route

The violence of the crash was apparent, and the news quickly swept through social media as the accident was reported to be serious. Benoot soon after took to social media to provide an update, revealing he had suffered a fracture in the neck. However, he describes:

“They immediately gave me a shot of morphine, I was pretty drowsy and I was on the monitor. I was in it on my back, so I didn't see much myself, but they've already taken ultrasounds of my organs there to see if there was any internal bleeding. Fortunately that was not the case.”

“Fortunately, I was able to move my hands and feet on the spot," he detailed, describing his fears after the accident. "That was a relief. It certainly didn't matter much. A few millimeters or even micrometers and it could have been a different story. I've more or less accepted it. Although I will undoubtedly still be frustrated in the coming days when I see my colleagues racing at home. I am actually very grateful and happy that I can still tell it.”

Wout van Aert reveals preparation calendar towards World championships

After a successful Tour de France, Benoot travelled to Spain where he completed the Clasica San Sebastian in third spot. His year-long collaboration with Wout van Aert has been incredibly successful and it was set to continue. However, that won't be the case anymore for 2022 as he reveals further injuries. “I was diagnosed with another concussion and they had to remove glass from my hip and elbow and stitch those wounds up. I also feel like my ribs are bruised or broken. The doctors haven't told me about that, but I know what that feels like and I recognize the pain when I laugh or cough."

Now he will stay off the bike for several weeks, in time for the off-season, before preparing for the start of the 2023 season. “The diagnosis they gave me in Italy is that I have to rest for six to 12 weeks with this brace. I'm still young so I hope I can take that thing off after six weeks. In any case, I will visit doctor Toon Claes in Herentals for a second diagnosis. You never know," he concluded.