Küng and Swift Suffer Major Injuries in Crash-Heavy Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The opening weekend of the Classics season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, proved particularly treacherous this year, leaving a significant number of riders injured. Stefan Küng (Tudor Pro Cycling) sustained a femur fracture, while Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) broke his pelvis in separate incidents during the race.
Stefan Küng’s Injury
Stefan Küng suffered a fracture to his left femur during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and will require surgery. Cyclingnews reports that this injury will rule him out of the rest of the Classics season. The Swiss rider crashed in a separate incident from Rick Pluimers, also of Tudor Pro Cycling, who broke two teeth in a fall near the Molenberg.
WielerFlits confirms Küng was transported to a hospital overnight and will be moved to Switzerland for surgery on his femur as soon as possible.
Ben Swift’s Injury
Ben Swift of Ineos Grenadiers also suffered a severe injury, sustaining a broken pelvis in a crash during the race. ProCyclingUK details that Swift’s injury will also sideline him from the Classics.
Other Notable Injuries
The race saw a high number of crashes and withdrawals. Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling) broke two teeth but received immediate dental care from the wife of a team caregiver. Luca Mozzato and Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling) also crashed in a separate incident towards Geraardsbergen, though they finished the race. Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) sustained abrasions but is expected to start Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
Other riders affected included Kaden Groves and Lennert Belmans (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) who broke his collarbone, and several riders from Decathlon CMA CGM, Groupama-FDJ, Lidl-Trek, Lotto-Intermarché, Movistar, and UAE Emirates-XRG who were involved in falls.
Impact on Teams
Tudor Pro Cycling has been particularly affected by the crashes, losing key riders Küng and Pluimers. Küng’s absence is a significant blow to the team’s Classics ambitions, as he was expected to be a leader on challenging courses. Ineos Grenadiers will also demand to adjust their plans with Swift sidelined.
The high number of crashes raises concerns about rider safety and the challenging nature of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad course.