Worst breaks two hand bones and undergoes surgery after painful crash in Zonhoven

The cyclo-cross of Zonhoven guarantees spectacle, especially with the infamous 'pit' in the course. The descent through the sand is very technical, and the smallest mistake can have major consequences. So also knows Annemarie Worst. The 29-year-old cyclo-cross rider from Cyclo-cross Reds crashed heavily and had to abandon the race. It turned out afterward that the crash had major consequences.

Worst announced on Instagram. "My day started well, like I felt during the last races," she says. "My condition was improving a lot, and with every race, I felt stronger. But it ended brutally today with a crash in the kuil in Zonhoven. With the crash, I broke two bones in my hand, so now it's the first time for surgery this Tuesday." So, it was a significant setback for Worst, who will be out for a while. It is not known precisely how long she can't race. She competed with the best on Saturday, but out of sight, she crashed hard to the ground.

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Worst not the only one with bad luck: Van Empel also out for several matches

The women's cyclo-cross peloton lost a second top rider in a short time. World champion Fem van Empel had to cancel the races in Hulst and Zonhoven due to a crash while training. She had knee problems and took precautions. As a result, she was immediately eliminated from the World Cup: she would be so far behind leader Lucinda Brand that she could not compete for the overall title.

Gerben Kuypers and Witse Meeussen were unlucky in the men's event in Namen. They crashed during the section around the infamous Citadel. Both men broke their collarbones. So, for them, the cyclo-cross season is already over. For Kuypers, it was a big setback, but he is already looking ahead to the road season when he wants to make progress with Intermarché-Wanty. "I want to put this into perspective and shift my focus to my road season with the WorldTour team, for which I have nice ambitions," he told me last week.

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