"There was a risk of being paralyzed" - Former sprinter star recounts nightmare that ended his career
Cycling
Nacer Bouhanni had to call time on his career as a professional cyclist after the 2023 season, at just 33 years of age. He scored 70 victories in total, but 65 of them came between 2012 and 2018, when he was one of the best sprinters in the world. The most important of all came in the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.
In a L'Équipe documentary called Crash, peloton sous tension he joined compatriots Romain Bardet, Marion Rousse, Anthony Turgis and Marc Madiot to talk about his cycling career: "Towards the end of my career, I caught myself thinking too much. But when you're already in the sprint, it's too late to think: it's no use anymore."
The Frenchman, who rode for FDJ, Cofidis and Arkéa, commented on his feelings in the final stretch of his race: "I kept telling myself: 'If I go into that hole, I risk going down. It's dangerous. And if I fall, let it be there.' When you start thinking about those things, there's no point in trying to sprint anymore. The falls left marks on me that don't go away...especially in the mind."
A crash at the Tour of Turkey 2022 came close to ending his life: "It's the most dangerous sport in the world." Bouhanni is one of the riders of his generation who has been most affected by crashes.
He went on to explain the accident in more detail: "I must have been between tenth and fifteenth in the group. We were all stuck wheel to wheel and suddenly something like a human barrier appeared. Two people were in the middle of the road."
Nacer Bouhanni achieved 70 victories during his career as a professional cyclist.
Before adding, "I fell to the ground and knew right away that the situation was serious. I could not let my head move without holding it with my hands. The medical services arrived. There was a risk of paralysis. I collapsed. I called my family, and at that moment, for me, cycling was over."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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