"We are pushing the limits too hard” - Quinten Hermans escapes relatively unscathed from Itzulia Basque Country crash as Vingegaard, Evenepoel and more are hospitalised

After his stage win on Wednesday, Quinten Hermans was in good spirits pre-stage 4 of the Itzulia Basque Country. Following a mass crash which left Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and more hospitalised however, the Alpecin-Deceuninck star had some harsh words.

“I didn't see a lot of it, but I was there," an emotional Hermans began in his post-stage interview. "I was able to avoid it a little bit and ride into the bushes, where most of them were on the ground right in front of them. I am really one of the lucky ones, the damage is relatively minor. I try to look around as little as possible at such a moment. There are people from the ambulance who have to do their work at that moment, I try not to look too hard at it. I've seen enough falls, that's never nice to see.”

Echoing thoughts also shared by Pello Bilbao, Hermans expressed his belief that the speed of the riders may have caused the real danger. “I think the riders misjudged the bend. There were a lot of bumps in that bend and I think that's why they didn't dare brake," he explains.

"The braking moment was gone and the bend was sharper than expected. As a result, the second rider lost all his line. I can't say it was a dangerous course or a dangerous bend, I think we pushed the limits too hard," Hermans concludes.