Belgian cyclist Seff Van Kerckhove was sent to hospital after being hit by a vehicle during a training ride Monday afternoon. According to Belgian Cycling spokesperson Gwendoline Gerres, the 18-year-old Van Kerckhove suffered a serious injury to his upper body and will undergo further examinations Tuesday. “Unfortunately, Seff will no longer be able to participate in the Men Junior Individual Time Trial and Road Race at the World Championships in Montreal,” she said in a written statement. She added that the cyclist will take time to recover and has already started rehabilitation. Gerres also noted that Van Kerckhove will not be replaced in either race he was to participate in. Road conditions Meanwhile, as other riders are complaining about road conditions – international fans are enjoying the race. Suzanne Lisnock flew from California for the week, “just being around bicycle people and seeing the pros.” “You see the best athletes in the world!” said Lisnock. Although the major races haven’t even begun yet, Monday’s women’s and men’s under-23 individual time trials drew crowds along the routes. Some racers have said publicly that Montreal roads are a rough ride. Matthew Pioro is the editor for Canadian Cycling Magazine and says: “Some of the most harshest comments are these are not up to snuff.” “Something along the lines of this for a world championship road race,” he added. “I don’t really think this is a fair argument because the surfaces at world championship road races are varied from year to year, but it seems for some, the potholes here in Montreal are a little too jarring.” Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada says that’s not the message she received from the UCI event organizers, especially since many roads were resurfaced for this event. “What I’ve been told by the UCI is they’re actually really happy about what we’ve done to make sure that the city’s up to the challenge, and I think we did that,” said Martinez Ferrada. Drivers who were trying to get around race-related road closures were ready to vent. Daily detours change with the races.
