During an individual training camp in Spain near Calpe, Thomas De Gendt and Gert Dockx were hit by a car.

“We were riding next to each other, Thomas on the left and I on the right," Dockx said. "The car came from the right and appeared to be stopping. In a fraction of a second I thought the front of the car was quite far on the main road, but before we realized it, we got hit by the car. Because the car came from the right especially my right leg was hit by the bumper. I can lean on the leg, but walking is difficult. I hope I don’t have any fractures, but further tests will have to determine that.”

“I mainly have a sore neck, back, wrist and fingers," De Gendt said. "I think that thanks to our helmet we don’t have a head injury. I hope I don’t have any severe fractures, but further tests are needed to conclude that. Our bikes are broken, but we were lucky after all, it could have been much worse. We were riding on the main road, so that the car – coming from a side street – should have stopped.

"The riders of Vastgoedservice are staying in the same hotel as us. Kevin Hulsmans, sports director of Vastgoedservice, took care of us and took us to hospital, we are grateful for that.”

“I talked to the doctor at the hospital in Calpe who did the first examinations," Lotto Soudal doctor Servaas Bingé said. "The injuries of Thomas and Gert are not life threatening. Because of the limited options for further tests at the hospital over there the question was if both riders are well enough to be transfered to Belgium. That is the case, so Thomas and Gert will soon be coming back to Belgium for further examinations. Afterwards we’ll be able to tell how severe the injuries are and how long the riders have to remain out of competition. They definitely have bruises and abrasions, but I can’t rule out the possibility that they have fractures as well.”

After the return of Thomas De Gendt and Gert Dockx and the new examinations, Lotto Soudal will communicate again.