What began as a training ride on the idyllic vacation island of Mallorca turned into a real nightmare for six riders of the German national track cycling team on Monday morning. According to an FAZ report, the endurance athletes were hit by the car of an 89-year-old man and some were seriously injured, according to the German cycling association German Cycling. None of the athletes are in danger of death.
Former European U23 champion Tobias Buck-Gramcko, World Championship bronze medalists Benjamin Boos and Bruno Kessler, Max-David Briese, Moritz Augenstein and Louis Gentzik were involved in the accident. As the association explained, the accident occurred near Palma de Mallorca Airport when an 89-year-old driver overlooked the group and hit them head-on.
According to the Spanish newspaper Última Hora, the driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs. German Cycling reports "long breaks from training and competitions" for some of the athletes involved.
Ein 89-Jähriger verwickelt sechs Fahrer der deutschen Bahnrad-Nationalmannschaft während einer Trainingsfahrt auf Mallorca in einen Verkehrsunfall. Einige Sportler erleiden schwere Verletzungen, teilt der deutsche Radsport-Verband German Cycling mit. https://t.co/tNOgki2BSW
— Frankfurter Allgemeine (@faznet) January 27, 2025