Tom Pidcock was hit by a car driver while training, his coach has confirmed.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider has undergone surgery for a broken collarbone after his was involved in a crash while training in Andorra on Monday (May 31).
After his team confirmed Pidcock would not be starting the Tour de Suisse, his coach Kurt Bogaerts has now revealed more information about the incident.
Pidcock was riding downhill when he was hit from the side by a driver, Bogaerts said, with the 21-year-old being catapulted over the car.
A picture has appeared online showing Pidcock’s wrecked Pinarello bike, which snapped in half on impact.
Bogaerts, who was riding just behind Pidcock when the crash happened, told Dutch broadcaster Sporza: "He was driving at a fairly high speed at the start of a descent. We don't know what exactly happened, but Tom was hit from the side by a car.
"Due to the impact, he was catapulted over the car. His bicycle partially absorbed the impact and broke into two pieces.
"The most important thing was to take him to a hospital immediately."
Pidcock has already undergone surgery in Girona for his broken collarbone and is out of hospital.
While he will be forced to miss the Tour de Suisse, which starts on Sunday (June 6), Bogaerts said Pidcock could return for the Les Get mountain bike World Cup round on July 4, before he heads to the Tokyo Olympics.
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Bogaerts added: “We are now mainly going to work sensibly. We must try to preserve the condition he has and we must be attentive to inflammation on the wound or other complications."
Pidcock is riding his debut season at WorldTour level with Ineos and has been one of the stars of the early-season, winning Brabanste Pijl (his first pro win on the road) and the elite mountain bike World Cup round in Nove Mesto.
