Ghent Six 2021 - Mark Cavendish spends night in Belgian ICU in hospital after big crash in Ghent

ByAlexander Netherton

Published 22/11/2021 at 10:11 GMT

Mark Cavendish has had an exceptional season after a surprise return to form and prominence at the Tour de France for Deceuninck-QuickStep. The British rider had a rough experience on Sunday though, when a huge crash at the Ghent Six led to a hospital stay at a Belgian ICU with no clear update on his condition.

British cyclist Mark Cavendish was in an ICU of a Belgian hospital on Sunday night after a severe crash in the last event of the Ghent Six.

His team doctor is currently unable to visit the hospital due to coronavirus restrictions in the country, but Cavendish was said by his team to have passed medical tests after his crash. It is not known why he is in ICU.

Speaking on Twitter, Peta Todd - Cavendish’s wife - issued an update.

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"Thank you for all the messages. Mark is spending the night in ICU following today's crash. Thank you to all the medical staff that helped us today and also to the staff that sprung into action to help me and the kids," she wrote.

The veteran Deceuninck-QuickStep sprinter was taking part in the event along with Iljo Keisse, and was part of a wider crash including Lasse Norman Hansen.

Cavendish was able to stand after the crash and acknowledged the crowd, but was then stretchered to hospital.

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According to reports, Gerben Thijssen slipped on a wet part of the track, causing Kenny DeKetele to swerve and causing Hansen and Cavendish to tumble.

Jasper De Buyst told Sporza after the accident that he had noticed some water the lap before, running over it at a slower speed before everything went wrong in the next lap.

Thijssen slipped, then DeKetele, who was on his wheel, swerved abruptly and Hansen went down. Cavendish then crashed as well, unable to avoid the Danish rider.

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