- A shocking accident at the Olympic velodrome left three cyclists injured
- The women’s keirin race was thrown into chaos when Steffie van der Peet withdrew
- China’s Yuan Liying and Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele crashed to the ground
A horrific high-speed crash at the Olympic velodrome left three cyclists suffering horrific injuries in the women’s keirin event on Thursday.
Medics rushed to the scene as cyclists slid across the surface of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome as bikes broke into pieces and spectators were left stunned by the 40mph collision.
Three of the six competing riders were thrown from their bikes when Dutch star Steffie van der Peet fell as her machine slid underneath and crashed into those nearby.
Van der Peet was on the outside of the group and in the blink of an eye found himself colliding out of control with other unsuspecting riders who were going through their cool-down period.
The Dutch cyclist was catapulted from her bike and crashed into the rear wheel of Chinese rider Yuan Liying, who fell sideways to the ground, pieces of her mangled bike flying through the air.
Dutch cyclist Steffie van der Peet (orange) set off a chain reaction when she fell off her bike.
Van der Peet was left stranded on her bike when the one she was riding overturned on top of her.
Van der Peet (right) collided with China’s Yuan Liying (centre) and Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele (far left)
A horrific high-speed crash at the Olympic velodrome left three riders suffering nasty injuries in the women’s keirin event.
Pieces of machinery flew through the air while cyclists were left with holes in their clothing.
The women’s keirin race was going smoothly until Van der Peet’s bike (orange) slipped out from under her.
A domino effect then ensued which led to her colliding with Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele, with the pair becoming entangled as momentum carried them forward while others tried to avoid becoming entangled.
Degrendele did well to try to stay on her machine and appeared to have avoided the worst of the incident, but was eventually knocked off her feet and over her handlebars, with her head apparently hitting the ground.
The Belgian appeared to be in great discomfort as medical staff rushed to her aid, while China’s Liying was visibly upset as support staff eventually helped her to her feet.
Van der Peet appeared to bear the brunt of the injuries, as she was seen with burns on her back and left leg, where the speed of the crash had caused her clothing to tear.
The three were carefully removed by concerned team members who had watched in horror as events unfolded as the Olympic event turned into a scene of destruction.
Meanwhile, team technicians began collecting severely damaged bikes, as some had large chunks missing from the wheels and bent and detached handlebars.
Velodrome staff also set to work trying to repair the track, with a vacuum cleaner sucking up small pieces of debris and scraps of tape used to cover dents left on the surface.
Fortunately, all three riders were relatively unharmed after the lengthy delay. Degrendele smiled and waved to the crowd as she was led back to the athletes’ seating area.
Doctors were called to the scene because the cyclists involved in the accident were in serious pain.
Belgian Degrendele’s bike has its rear wheel destroyed
Van der Pet was left with burns from the track and his left leg showed signs of his clothing being worn down.
China’s Liying looked visibly upset as support staff helped her off the court.
The race was already over at the time of the accident and Degrendele was the only rider of the three to make it to the women’s keirin final, where she finished in 11th place.
Social media was filled with messages from spectators who were shocked by the severity of the accident which could have caused serious injuries had the competitors not been wearing helmets.
One commenter was full of support for X, saying: “Absolutely intense! Glad to hear everyone is okay and the track is back in shape.”
Another similarly added: “At least they’re okay,” and a third commenter added: “It could be dangerous.”