Local news out of Belgium Sunday morning reports 150 riders were taken down by a massive crash in the opening kilometers of a 140km UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifying race in Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure.

Alain Vandromme, Mayor of Froidchapelle, reports 150 riders participating in Gran Fondo Belgium went down around kilometer 8, with 47 requiring emergency medical attention. Seven riders were transported to hosptial, with three in serious condition.

HLN video and photos from the crash scene showed broken bikes, bloodied bodies and bottles strewn across the road from shoulder to shoulder, with hundreds of racers stopped in their tracks as medical staff rushed to treat the injured.

Organizers of the sold-out 2500 amateur event quickly neutralized the race, but soon decided to cancel it all together due to lack of medical and safety resources, ending any opportunity for participants to qualify for the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships planned in Australia next October.

Some participants questioned the UCI’s wisdom of holding mass-start road races for thousands of amateurs. Wim, a Flemish participant, told HLN: “The first ‘box’ had more than 500 people. It is totally irresponsible to launch so many runners at the same time.” 

On the UCI Gran Fondo World Series Facebook page Roman Briquet posted what many racers have been thinking and saying for years, “Over 400 riders going in that first wave. In roads totally terrible for such a huge event. When will you put ‘Making Money’ as less important than the ‘Security of the riders’ UCI? Would have it been hard to divide in 4 that first wave, and have top 25 % for each wave qualify for example? One bunch of + 400 riders in roads with very little elevation? Where is your brain guys?!”

Gran Fondo Belgium organizers and the UCI released the following brief statements concerning the crash:

UCI: “The new Granfondo Belgium, organised in Les Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure has had to be cancelled. The riders were lined up with a first wave of license holders, followed by different waves of unlicensed riders. It was in this first wave that after 8km on course on a straight wide-open road, a major crash happened with 40 riders involved. Tragically, seven riders sustained serious injuries requiring hospitalization, although no fatalities were reported. The race of the subsequent waves was first delayed and eventually cancelled due to a lack of emergency vehicles available.”

Gran Fondo Belgium: “Following a massive fall involving many leading runners of the UCI Gran Fondo event, the organization, in coordination with the authorities and security services, had to make the decision to neutralize and then cancel the UCI Gran Fondo event. Indeed, the large number of runners involved in this fall required the mobilization of security services dedicated to the event. The resumption of the race depended on the availability of these emergency services, which unfortunately was no longer the case. The organization had put in place the safety and rescue devices necessary for the smooth running of the event on the basis of legal obligations and recommendations from the authorities. That is, 4 ambulances, 2 emergency doctors and medical teams dedicated to the management of the race. The police very quickly secured the perimeter to allow medical teams to intervene in the most optimal way possible. The only concern of the organization being to guarantee the safety of all, no other decision than the cancellation of the race was possible. We understand the disappointment caused by this decision and are sincerely sorry.”

Photo Credit: RV/DS, Gregory Van Gansen

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