Steven Kruijswijk crashed heavily during the fifth stage of the Vuelta a España today in Lugo. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s leader hit a metal pole in the final three kilometres and broke his left collarbone, forcing him to abandon this Vuelta. Gianni Meersman (Etixx - Quick Step) won the stage.

“It didn’t go the way we wanted in this race,” Sports Director Addy Engels said. “The first summit finish already was a disappointment. It went a little bit better yesterday and we were positive about the possibility that Steven Kruijswijk would have been able to reach his top level during this Vuelta.

“This crash is an enormous setback. Steven’s general classification was the team’s main target in this race. Now, we have to change plans. We only covered five stages so far, so we need some time to get used to this scenario. It’s not something we’re immediately capable of because we were all here with the mindset to do it for Steven. We have to take a look at our options. We definitely will have some chances, because we’re here with a strong team.”

Object

“My ribs and collarbone hurt a lot,” Steven Kruijswijk added. “I crashed heavily into that pole. It’s terrible that I have to leave this race because of an object that shouldn’t have been there. I’m going home immediately tomorrow. This was, after the Giro d’Italia, my second big target and I’m really fed up about the way I’m leaving this Vuelta.”