The Tour de France had barely started when we received a report of a crash. Jan Hirt, an important climbing helper for Remco Evenepoel at Soudal Quick-Step, fell right before the start of the opening stage.
The Czech rider suffered a bloody nose and several broken teeth, but he can still start in the first stage. Teammate Yves Lampaert witnessed the incident and vented his frustration about the chaos in Florence to VTM Nieuws.
"It's complete chaos. The organization has no control at all. People are everywhere. Jan got caught up and flipped over. We riders get fined for the smallest things, the organization should take a good look in the mirror. This is unacceptable," said Lampaert.
After the stage, Hirt will receive further treatment for his facial injuries. Team manager Patrick Lefevere also voiced his opinion on X (formerly Twitter). "There are a hundred rules for the teams, but a backpack caused Jan to fall during his ride from the team bus to the sign-in. He broke three teeth."
This is the second fall Soudal Quick-Step experienced this week. Louis Vervaeke fell during training on Thursday, but he also managed to start in the opening stage.
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