Groenewegen banned for nine months over crash which left Jakobsen in a coma
Dutch sprinter Dylan Groe - ne we gen has been banned for nine months by cycling’s world governing body the UCI for causing the crash at the Tour of Poland in August which left Fabio Jakobsen in a coma.
Groenewegen deviated from his line in the final metres of the opening stage of the race, sending his fellow Dutchman into the barriers, which subsequently collapsed in frightening fashion.
Deceuninck-Quick Step’ s Jakobsen, 24, suffered a heavy concussion and numerous broken bones in the crash, and was placed in a medicallyinduced coma before undergoing facial reconstruction surgery.
Neither rider has raced since the incident on August 5, with Jakobsen’s treatment ongo - ing while Groenewegen – who suffered a broken collarbone – was suspended by his JumboVisma team until the outcome of the UCI’S investigation.
In a statement announcing his ban, the UCI said: “(Groenewegen) collaborated with the investigation and accepted to serve a period of suspension until 7 May 2021, corresponding to a period of nine months from the date of the incident.”
But the heavy ban for the 27- year-old will prove controversial as, though he immediately accepted blame for causing the crash, the inci - dent raised serious questions about safety practices around sprint stages given the downhill finish and the apparently poor construction of the barriers.
The UCI did not immediately respond to questions regarding any broader consequences of the crash in terms of race guidelines.
The world governing body’s statement added: “The UCI emphasises the importance of acting on any such incidents from a disciplinar y p oint of view in a fair and consistent manner as well as continuously working on measures aimed at improving road safety.”
Groenewegen subsequently posted a message on social media accepting the ban, calling the incident a “black page in my career”.
Meanwhile, British Cycling has dismissed its podium sprint coach Kevin Stewart for gross misconduct including what it described as a "longterm pattern of inappropriate relationships with riders".
The governing body said Stewart failed to act on repeated warnings about his conduct, and that "his behaviours fell short of the values and standards expected by the Great Britain Cycling Team."
Stewart, who would have been an integral part of the Team GB medals bid at next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics, apologised "wholeheartedly", and acknowledged his actions made his position untenable.
British Cycling said the grounds for Stewart's dismissal also included a failure to follow the specific direction of the Performance Director with regard to respecting athletes' personal boundaries, in appropriate of electronic communication, and actions bringing British Cycling into disrepute. However, British Cycling said an investigation into Stewart' s conduct had found no evidence of a physical relationship between himself and any members of the Great Britain team.
Stewart said: "I wholeheartedly apologise to the team for my actions, which I acknowledge were not acceptable."