Fourth stage of Tour de Pologne shortened after fatal accident

The organisers of the Tour de Pologne, Poland’s largest cycling race, have announced the fourth stage will be shortened and non-competitive after Belgian competitor Bjorg Lambrecht died following a crash.

Bjorg Lambrecht, pictured in April this year.

Photo: EPA/JULIEN WARNAND

The organisers announced the decision shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

The race organisers, the jury and the cycling teams have made a decision to neutralize the 4th stage of Tour de Pologne to pay our respects to Bjorg Lambrecht. The stage route is reduced to 133.7km and the final laps cut to 1.
More - https://t.co/xPRQ5l8Jhs pic.twitter.com/QkEJSdTFq7

— Tour de Pologne (@Tour_de_Pologne) 5 sierpnia 2019

An investigation has been launched into Lambrecht’s death, state news agency PAP reported on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old competitor hit a concrete culvert by the road during the third stage of the race from Chorzów to Zabrze in the south of the country on Monday.

Race director Czesław Lang said Lambrecht veered off the road for unknown reasons on the 48th kilometre of Monday’s leg, then fell into a ditch.

“The injuries were so serious that we quickly called a helicopter and an ambulance. He was transported to hospital… but unfortunately he did not survive,” Lang added.

Lang said the race as a whole would not be called off.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki offered his condolences to Lambrecht’s family and friends.

This year’s Tour de Pologne is 1,060 km long and runs until Friday.

(jh/pk)

Source: PAP