What should have been a pleasant training ride in sunny and warm Mallorca on Monday morning turned gruesome for the young German national track team, with six riders seriously injured when an automobile crashed into them.

The crash occurred near Palma de Mallorca Airport when an 89 year-old driver apparently did not see the group of cyclists and plowed directly into them.

German national track coach Lucas Schädlich was driving behind the riders and witnessed the gruesome event firsthand, immediately stopping to render aid while dozens of police and emergency responders raced to the scene.

Former UCI Junior World Champion and European U23 Champion Tobias Buck-Gramcko (24), UCI World Championship bronze medalists Benjamin Boos (21), Bruno Kessler (19), Max-David Briese (21), Louis Gentzik (18) and Moritz Augenstein (27) and were involved in the crash. With three of the riders, unnamed at press time, rushed to hospital.

While police continue to investigate the crash, early indications show the elderly driver was distracted and/or did not have the necessary skills to operate the automobile safely at the time of the accident. Local news Última Hora reports police on-scene tested the driver for alcohol and drugs, with results coming out negative.

The team was in Mallorca to prepare for the upcoming European Track Championships taking place in two weeks in Belgium. The Mediterreanean island is a popular training destination for cyclists during Europe’s cold and overcast winter months.

Photo Credit: Gian Ehrenzeller, IB3 TV

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