End Of The Road For Greipel

Despite dashboard cameras being added at Gent-Wevelgem to bring more colours in for television coverage, it was André Greipel’s dead pan face that garnered the day’s biggest impression. Greipel must have been picturing himself at the podium on his way to the finish. He had managed to get through the final cull on the Kemmelberg. Accompanying him towards Wevelgem was four Lotto-Belisol teammates part of the 50-strong leading group. The issue with the Classics is that things are always uncertain. Uncertainty is inevitable. And it was a surprise for sure, the way Greipel fell. He crashed to the floor flowing Tyler Farrar. It was obvious that it was the end of the race for him. But this wasn’t it. It was the end of the Classics Campaign as well as he broke his collarbone in the crash.

He was put into the passenger seat of the team car, where with an expressionless face he asked to be taken to the finish line. It was necessary to get him to a hospital. The entireatmosphere was solemn as the bus crossed the finish line. The team manager expressed his disappointment in the fact that the victory could not be grabbed by his team. Greipel had seemed to pass the hardest part when he crossed the summit of Kemmelberg. He had only 40 kilometres to go. After boarding the bus Greipel’s team manager, Marc Sergeant affirmed that it was the end of the line for Greipel concerning the Classics Campaign as his collarbone was fractured for sure.

He claimed that they tried everything possible to get with André to the finale and they were successful in the sense that in the finale there were five men for him. It was all going very smoothly until Greipel fell and crashed. From there it went downhill.