19-year-old Dimension Data Continental rider seriously injured during Italian race

Keagan Girdlestone reportedly collided with the back of a team car during the Coppa della Pace race in Italy

Keagan Girdlestone, junior time trial, 2015 World Championships (Yuzuru SUNADA)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental team rider Keagan Girdlestone was seriously injured during the Coppa della Pace race in Italy on Sunday. A post on his father's Facebook page reports that he is in a 'critical but stable' condition.

Italian website Tuttobici reported that the 19-year-old South African hit the back of a team car as he was chasing back to the peloton after an earlier crash. The race was subsequently cancelled.

Exact details of the incident are still unclear. The team tweeted on Sunday evening that they were waiting for a medical report on Girdlestone. He was transported from the race to a hospital in Rimini.

"We can confirm @Keagan_vtc was involved in a serious crash during a u23 race in Italy today. We're waiting on race medical for further info," said the team.

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A message was posted on his father Wayne's Facebook page on Sunday evening saying: "Keagan has been in an accident and is currently in theatre in a critical but stable condition. Your prayers for his strength and for him to continue fighting would be appreciated. What is on social media is not factual so please keep him in your prayers as he is a fighter."

Girdlestone won the Tour du Valromey and Ronde des Valles in 2015, and placed fourth in the junior time trial at the UCI World Championships. He moved to Lucca, Italy, with the team for the 2016 season to gain more experience of racing in Europe.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.