Australian Olympic road cyclist Lucas Plapp is in a stable condition in a Parisian hospital after a nasty crash in slippery conditions during the men’s individual time trial on Saturday. Plapp was flying along the rain-soaked central Paris course, clocking the fourth fastest time at the first intermediate time check, before a crash saw the 23-year-old collide heavily with a barrier fence. Plapp was taken to a French hospital, where he underwent abdominal surgery on Saturday evening.
According to a statement from the Australian Olympic Committee, the Team Jayco–AlUla rider was supported at the hospital by his parents and a team doctor. Plapp is a two-time Australian time trial champion, and has won the last three editions of the national road race championships. He also won a bronze medal in Tokyo on the track, as part of the team pursuit squad that place finish.
After riding the Giro d’Italia in May for his trade team, Plapp had been in intense preparation for the time trial – reportedly riding on his specialised time trial bike daily. The 32.4-kilometre race against the clock was set along a beautiful Parisian course, passing a number of the city’s landmarks.
But heavy rain on Friday night and Saturday morning left the course teacherly slick, particularly in cobbled sections. Plapp was not the only rider to come unstuck, with a number of slips across both the men’s and women’s races. Norway’s Søren Wærenskjold also failed to finish the men’s time trial.
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