During the 2023 European Championships, Stefan Küng, who won the title in 2021, crashed in a horrific manner causing him to suffer from a concussion and a broken hand. He was still able to finish the race in 11th position. However, the question must be asked, why was he allowed to step back onto his bike after such a severe crash?
In an interview with SRF Küng said “I think it was a guiding problem. During a time trial I am basically blind, I can only see a few meters ahead due to the position I have to hold, and I have to trust the indications that come via radio from the team car.”
The incident occurred when the position of the barriers running along the road moved inwards towards the middle of the left side lane, the course took a right turn approximately 200 meters after the barriers started to narrow. It’s hard to say if there was any problem with the design of the course as Küng simply wasn’t looking forward and didn’t see the narrowing barriers.
“We’ve looked at it again, but it all happened very quickly, during a time trial I cover 50/60 meters of road in a few seconds, so if I make a mistake in an instant I’m on the ground without realising it.”
In technical terms, a concussion occurs when the brain experiences sudden movements within the skull during a forceful impact, with or without direct contact with the ground or another surface. These movements can result in lesions at the neuronal level, posing a potential danger or even a lethal impact when injuries are repeated. You can find more information on the NHS website.
Could things have been handled better? Obviously, the answer is yes. Following an incident at the 2020 Tour de France, the UCI introduced their concussion protocol, which can be found here. Riders and spectators would have hoped to see a noticeable difference in the care for SRC (sports related concussion).
In fact, the UCI states “In the absence of any of the Immediate and Permanent Removal features and where the nature of the incident indicates potential for SRC (broken helmet, significant impact, rider not responding to radio etc.)” This demonstrates that having a broken helmet is a permanent removal feature, it’s clear Küng’s helmet was broken, so why was he not pulled from the race?
To make an accurate assessment during such a fast-paced sport such as road cycling is very difficult, and the rider’s instinct is of course to keep riding. But in this instance, when the Swiss rider crashed, it was clear his race was over. It’s always recommended to stop any sport when concussion is suspected.
Most importantly, Stefan Küng is on the mend, and we hope to see him winning races next season. For now, he is focusing on the winter, if you’re interested in training tips for winter cycling check out this article.
Written by
Guy Tucker
A freelance writer with a number of years’ experience writing on all things cycling. After competing internationally as a triathlete, he then moved onto cycling, working his way up the French amateur ranks. Guy has recently decided to step away from racing and focus on writing, as well as having fun on two wheels. The years spent heavily involved in sport have given him great insight and valuable knowledge, which is demonstrated in his work.
