Fallout continues from yesterday’s sprint pileup
Vacansoleil rider Michal Golas was one of the riders most badly injured in yesterday’s pileup at the Vuelta a España. The 27 year old Pole collided with American sprinter Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) close to the line, with both riders being thrown to the ground.
Farrar was taken to hospital for a check-up and while he was very sore, he fortunately avoided fractures. “He suffered severe contusions on his hip but preliminary x-rays show no broken bones,” team spokesperson Marya Pongrace told VeloNation yesterday evening. She added that he would try to start today’s stage.
There was some confusion this morning due to reports that he had pulled out of the race. However he did in fact continue, although didn’t sign on.
As for Golas, he’s heading home. His team initially said yesterday that he would continue, notwithstanding bad facial trauma. “Golas says the 17 stitches in his face count double which makes him beat Johnny [Hoogerland]’s 33! He will start tomorrow,” the press officer said on Twitter.
However this morning things were very different. The team said that he has cuts all over his body, as well as stitches in his mouth, on his chin and under his nose. “Because of that I only slept an hour every now and then,” he said this morning. “The only remaining thing I can do in this situation, unfortunately, is to go home. As my wife is a doctor I will be in good hands over there.”
Golas has been with the team for over two years and this season clocked up several good performances. These include the King of the Mountains classification in the Tour de Pologne, fourth overall in the Tour de Wallonie, five top ten stage finishes in the Volta a Catalunya and fifth in the recent Olympic Test Event in London.
He was looking to doing something big in the Vuelta a España as a form of farewell to his current team, but it is not to be. “It’s a pity,” stated directeur sportif Michel Cornelisse. “Michal is leaving our team after the season. He really had the ambition to say goodbye with a great performance in this Vuelta. Unfortunately he won’t get this chance anymore. It was a big crash and he’s not able to go on. Together with our team doctor we took the only decision possible.”
It is not yet clear if he will compete again this season. He will race next year with the Omega Pharma – Quick Step team.