Elia Viviani has credited his helmet with "saving his life" during a crash at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider was caught up in an incident with about 220km to go of the Monument, which saw around 20 riders hit the floor. Viviani and Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost) were forced to leave the race shortly after.
The incident on a seemingly calm bit of road before the cobbles also saw Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) and Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) crash, with both Milan and Rex retiring.
Viviani revealed on X on Tuesday morning that he had suffered no broken bones, but did now have a muscle injury. His lack of head injuries, he said, was thanks to his Kask helmet. There was no reported concussion.
"The tests carried out in hospital on the day of the race ruled out fractures, other checks highlighted a muscle injury which I will be able to recover in a few days like the various abrasions on my body," The Italian wrote. "About my head, I passed all the necessary checks and all ok.
"It may seem stupid to say it over and over again but the helmet saved my life in Sunday's fall. It exploded at the moment of impact, ensuring that the impact did not reach my head. Thanks KASK!"
Viviani was wearing a Kask Elemento, which features a Multipod system, designed to protect the head from rotational forces, made of Fluid Carbon 12.
Only three Ineos Grenadiers riders finished the Hell of the North: Connor Swift, Ben Swift, and Tom Pidcock, who finished 17th.
"It’s not bad is it," Pidcock said post-race. "It’s a pretty epic race. I couldn't hold my bars at the end of the race, which was my biggest problem. There’s not much else to say really."
Ben Turner also did not finish Roubaix, while AJ August, the youngest rider in the race, did complete the 260km, but finished outside the time limit. Meanwhile, their teammate Josh Tarling was disqualified with 130km to go for a sticky bottle tow.
Just 110 riders of the 175 rider field finished the race, with 43 pulling out mid-race, and 18 finishing outside the time limit. The last man across the line in the Roubaix velodrome, although it did not count officially, was Cyrus Monk of Q36.5 Pro Cycling.
