Russian cyclist poses NAKED to show off his scars from a brutal crash just short of the finish line at a race in Dunkirk, scraping his shoulder, back, arm, thigh and knee on the road
- Gleb Syritsa showed off shocking cuts and lesions after falling in the mass crash
- The first stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkirque was won by Dutch rider Olav Kooij
- Chaos reigns at the Giro d’Italia after a DOG causes a crash with just 2km to go
A cyclist picked up some shocking injuries after going down in a huge crash just shy of the line at a race in Dunkirk, before posing naked to show off the wounds.
Astana Qazaqstan rider Gleb Syritsa was in the middle of the pack sprinting for the line at the end of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, before falling victim to the crash in sight of the finish.
The melee began after one rider on the left of the sprinting pack seemed to topple, careening into those in the immediate vicinity.
Bikes and riders alike then went down from left to right, causing those directly behind to quickly pull up despite the pace they were travelling at in the sprint.
After going down, Syritsa was then helped over the line by his team-mates, with blood running from cuts on his knees, arms and shoulder.
Russian rider Gleb Syritsa was nursed over the line by his Astana Qazaqstan team-mates
The cyclist then posed for a picture showcasing his wounds in the bus after the crash
The crash came as the riders approached the line in a bunch sprint after a five-man breakaway group were reeled in with 6km to go
He appeared in good spirits at the end of the race – despite the litany of cuts, sores and road burn across his body, posing smiling for a photo in the team bus.
Although the most damaging, the crash just short of the line on day one of the four-day competition was not the first, with Dutch rider Olav Kooij taking an early lead after winning the stage.
Given that he fell within the final 3km of the race, he remains in roughly the same time category as the rest of the peleton, so the collision will not have a drastic impact on his standings after the first day.
The 196.6km race began in Dunkirk, and after the start the peleton quickly accelerated through the hilly stage, before an initial split yielded a five-man breakaway group.
The group were allowed a little breathing space, before finally being reeled in with just 6km to go to the end, setting up a thrilling sprint for the line featuring the majority of the riders.
Kooj ultimately had the freshest legs come the final few metres, and managed to hold off the competition to seal victory, taking his second win of the season and an early leader’s jersey.
‘It was a question of timing’, said race-winner Kooij. ‘The last few kilometres we were riding into the wind, so it was challenging to prepare a perfect sprint as a team.
‘The peloton went from left to right, so the situation was never under control. I didn’t see the crash, but I heard it. I hope everyone is OK.
Syritsa’s injuries could be seen through his jersey, which was ripped from where he made contact with the road
The opening stage of the competition was won by Dutch rider Olav Kooij of Team Jumbo-Visma
‘It was a goal to win a stage here. To do it on the first day is fantastic. I waited a long time to sprint today, but I was confident.
‘If you can win a bunch sprint in Paris-Nice, you should be able to succeed in most other races. I’m happy that I was able to prove myself today and finish.’
The crash that caused such shocking injuries to Russian cyclist Syritsa comes just days after another incident, this time at the Giro d’Italia.
Favourite Remco Evenepoel went down twice in the fifth stage of the tour, the first coming after a dog ran into the road, sending several peleton riders to the deck as they tried to avoid the invader.
