Russian cyclist poses NUDE 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 shocking cuts and lesions after falling during the mass crash
- The first stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkirque was won by the Dutchman Olav Kooij
- Chaos reigns at the Giro d’Italia after a DOG causes a crash with only 2km to go
A cyclist suffered some shocking injuries after a bad crash just short of the line at a race in Dunkirk, before posing nude to show off his injuries.
Astana Qazaqstan rider Gleb Syritsa was in the middle of the peloton and sprinted to the line at the end of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque before falling victim to the crash within sight of the finish.
The fight started after a rider on the left side of the sprinting peloton appeared to fall over and crash into those in the immediate vicinity.
Both the bikes and the riders then went down from side to side, causing those directly behind to accelerate quickly, despite the pace at which they rode in the sprint.
After going down, Syritsa was then helped across the line by his teammates, with blood pouring from the cuts on his knees, arms and shoulder.
Russian rider Gleb Syritsa was piloted across the line by his teammates from Astana Qazaqstan
The cyclist then posed for a photo showing his injuries on the bus after the crash
The crash came as the riders approached the line in a bunch sprint after a five-man breakaway group was reeled in with 6km to go
He appeared in high spirits at the end of the race – despite the litany of cuts, sores and burns all over his body, as he posed for a photo on the team bus with a smile.
While it was the most damaging, the fall just before the line on the first day of the four-day race was not the first, with Dutch rider Olav Kooij taking an early lead after winning the stage.
As he fell within the last 3km of the race, he remains in roughly the same time category as the rest of the peloton, so the collision won’t have a drastic impact on his standings after the first day.
The 196.6km race started in Dunkirk and after the start the peleton quickly accelerated through the hilly stage, before an initial split saw a five-man breakaway group.
The group got some breathing room, before finally being reeled in with just 6km to go to the finish, setting up a thrilling sprint for the line with the majority of riders.
Kooj eventually had the freshest legs in the final meters and managed to hold off the competition to seal victory, his second win of the season and an early leader’s jersey.
“It was a matter of timing,” said race winner Kooij. “The last kilometers we rode against the wind, so it was a challenge 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 okay.
Syritsa’s injuries showed through his jersey, which was ripped from where he made contact with the road
The opening stage of the race was won by Dutchman 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 mass sprint in Paris-Nice, you should succeed in most other races. I’m glad I was able to prove myself today and finish.’
The crash that left Russian cyclist Syritsa with such shocking injuries comes just days after another incident, this time at the Giro d’Italia.
Favorite Remco Evenepoel went down twice on stage five of the tour, the first after a dog ran onto the road, sending several peloton riders onto the deck as they tried to avoid the intruder.