Six members of the German track cycling national team were injured in a road accident on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Monday, with at least three suffering serious injuries, according to Focus Online. The German Cycling Federation reported that there is no danger to life for any of the athletes.
According to the Civil Guard Command in the Balearic Islands and the Spanish news portal Cronica Balear, cited by the German newspaper Münchner Merkur, the accident occurred around 10:20 AM on the Ma-19A road heading towards Llucmajor, near the Son Oms industrial area close to Palma. The cyclists had set out from their hotel in Palma for a training ride when the incident happened, reported N-TV.
According to Die Welt, an 89-year-old driver possibly did not maintain a safe distance and struck the group from behind while driving in the same direction under circumstances that are being investigated. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported that the driver tested negative in a breathalyzer test conducted at the scene and was not arrested. The driver is said to have suffered no injuries.
Stern reported that the injured cyclists are Benjamin Boos, Tobias Buck-Gramcko, Bruno Kessler, Moritz Augenstein, Louis Gestin, and Max-David Briese.
Emergency services, including medical personnel from SAMU 061, were dispatched to the scene and attended to the injured cyclists, all of whom had multiple contusions. One of the injured cyclists was discharged at the scene, while the other six required hospital transfer to different hospitals in Palma.
A spokeswoman for the Guardia Civil later confirmed the incident, according to Die Welt. Further details about the identity of the driver are not known so far, Focus Online reported.
The online newspaper Cronica Balear was the first to report on the accident, which was later confirmed by the Civil Guard Command in the Balearic Islands, according to Die Welt.
The accident happened just 2.7 kilometers from the hotel where the athletes were staying. The Camí de Can Capó is a route commonly used by cyclists for training rides due to its proximity to Palma.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq