Dylan Groenewegen banned for nine months for causing Tour of Poland crash
- Published
Dutch sprinters Fabio Jakobsen (far left) and Dylan Groenewegen (second left, in yellow) collided just before the line
Jumbo-Visma cyclist Dylan Groenewegen has been banned for nine months for causing the crash that left Fabio Jakobsen in a coma at the Tour of Poland.
Dutch cyclist Groenewegen deviated from his line before he and Jakobsen collided near the finish line on stage one of the race on 5 August.
His ban will be backdated to the incident and will end on 7 May 2021.
Deceuninck-QuickStep rider Jakobsen later said he was "glad to be alive".
He spent a week in intensive care and has had two operations to reconstruct his face and jaw, with more scheduled for 2021, external.
A Deceuninck-QuickStep spokesperson told BBC Sport Jakobsen was "recovering well".
In a statement, Groenewegen, 27, said: "The crash in the first stage of the Tour of Poland will forever be a black page in my career.
"The consequences were very unfortunate and serious. I am very aware of that and I hope this has been a wise lesson for every sprinter.
"I follow the news of Fabio's recovery very closely. I can only hope that one day he will return completely.
"Closing the disciplinary matter creates clarity. That gives me the opportunity to look ahead again."
The UCI said Groenewegen, who had surgery on a broken collarbone after the incident, would also take part in a number of events to the "benefit of the cycling community".
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