Dylan Teuns will be forced to miss his next race after he was involved in a tractor accident while gardening after the Tour de France.
The Bahrain-Merida pro needed 15 stitches in his forehead after the incident at his home in Halen, Belgium on Wednesday morning (July 31).
Teuns, the winner of stage six of the Tour on La Planche des Belles Filles, banged his face on the steering wheel of the tractor when it stopped suddenly.
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A statement from his Bahrain-Merida said: “Dylan Teuns was involved in a minor home accident today. The unfortunate event happened to the Team Bahrain-Merida rider while gardening with his garden tractor this morning at his house in Halen.
“Dylan suffered a facial wound that required 15 stitches in his forehead. Due to this and his bashed up face, unfortunately he will miss the upcoming Clásica San Sebastián.”
The 27-year-old Belgian took the biggest win of his career at this year’s Tour on stage six, winning from a breakaway on the first mountain of the race.
Just a month earlier, he had taken another big stage win at the Critérium du Dauphiné on stage two.
Teuns also has a collection of overall victories – the Tour de Wallonie, Tour of Poland and the Artic Race of Norway, all in 2017.
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According to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Teuns said: “I was working on earthworks at home with my tractor with a machine behind it.
“The machine suddenly stopped working due to a technical defect. That also brought the tractor to a halt. Because of that sudden stop I hit my head on the wheel.”
Teuns added that his planned training for the Vuelta a España will not be interrupted.
