Rio 2016: Annemiek van Vleuten gives update from intensive care after horrific road race crash
The 33-year-old Dutch rider was leading the race when she suffered a crash on the final descent
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Your support makes all the difference.Annemiek van Vleuten has reassured supporters that she will be “fine” despite being placed in intensive care following her crash during Sunday’s women’s road race at the Rio Olympic Games.
The 33-year-old Dutch rider had broken away at the front of the women’s road race and seemed to be coasting towards victory.
Van Vleuten, however, came off her bike, falling over her handlebars, after overshooting a sharp right-hand turn on the final descent.
The Royal Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) later confirmed that Van Vleuten, who lay motionless on the course after crash, had suffered concussion and three fractures to her spine.
“I am now in the hospital with some injuries and fractures, but will be fine,” she tweeted on Monday. “Most of all super disappointed after best race of my career.”
Van Vleuten was kept in intensive care overnight following the accident.
The Dutch cyclist’s crash came only a day after three others - Richie Porte, Vincenzo Nibali and Sergio Henao – suffered serious injuries on the same descent.
Van Vleuten’s race was won by her compatriot Anna van der Breggen in three hours, 51 minutes and 27 seconds.
"It looked pretty bad. I thought she was dead," Van der Breggen said after seeing her team-mate lying in the road. "No one did anything about it. It’s the most important day in your career.
"When you see something like that, it really does not matter anymore.”
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