Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen 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-QuickStep’s Jakobsen, 24, suffered a heavy concussion and numerous broken bones in the crash, and was placed in a medically-induced coma before undergoing facial reconstruction surgery.
Neither rider has raced since the incident on 5 August, with Jakobsen’s treatment ongoing while Groenewegen – who suffered a broken collarbone – was suspended by his Jumbo-Visma team until the outcome of the UCI’s investigation.
In a statement announcing his ban on Wednesday, 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 incident raised serious questions about safety practices around sprint stages given the downhill finish and the apparently poor construction of the barriers.
