Nineteen-year-old American Ezra Caudell has been placed in an induced coma after a heavy crash during his debut appearance at the revived Philadelphia Cycling Classic, with his team saying he is being treated for “multi-system trauma.”
Caudell, riding for Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, went down roughly halfway through the men’s race on Sunday 30 August 2026, colliding with Belgian rider Milan Menten of Lotto-Intermarché on Kelly Drive as the pair tried to bridge to the day’s breakaway. Caudell was knocked unconscious and reportedly regained awareness only on the way to hospital, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He did not finish the race.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Modern Adventure said Caudell was “actively receiving care for multi-system trauma,” with family at his bedside and a medical team working around the clock. The exact nature and extent of his injuries have not been fully disclosed, as doctors reportedly want to wait until he is brought out of the coma before assessing the full picture.
Menten, who also abandoned the race, gave Het Laatste Nieuws a detailed account on Wednesday of how the crash happened. He said that as the two riders closed to within about 10 metres of the last rider in the breakaway, Caudell glanced back to gauge the gap to the peloton, lost his balance, and hit either a curb or a drain with his front wheel. The wheel broke and Caudell was pitched into a lamppost, taking Menten down with him. Menten said that despite his own pain, he could see immediately that Caudell was in serious trouble and was not moving.
Menten also said he had since been in touch with the team and described Caudell as stable but with significant damage to his lungs and bones. He added that the greatest concern was for his brain and that a clearer picture would only emerge once he was woken from the coma. Menten came away from the incident with whiplash and ligament damage but said he considers himself fortunate given what he witnessed. He added that it was the first time he had experienced something so frightening up close and that he plans to see a sports psychologist to talk through the experience.
Caudell, from Acworth, Georgia, turns 20 on 8 September. A former junior national MTB champion, he was the youngest starter at this year’s Paris-Roubaix and placed seventh in the elite road race and fourth in the under-23 race at June’s US National Championships.
Photo Credit: Ezra Caudell
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