During a fast stage of the Tour de Pologne in 2020, Dylan Groenewegen was involved in a brutal accident with Fabio Jakobsen. Groenewegen took responsibility for the incident, facing intense criticism, and expressed considering the possibility of retiring due to the repercussions of what happened.
Painful to watch the accident
“It was painful to see that. Terrible how Fabio flies into the barriers and how the barriers fly over the road”, reflects Team sprinter Jayco AlUla on the De Grote Plaat podcast. “I was also shocked. I strayed from my line. We were doing 84 km/h and the combination of all these factors and what happened to Fabio made everything terrible.”
Retirement was on the horizon
Following the incident, the Dutchman was suspended for nine months. During this time away, however, he admits that he thought about quitting professional cycling. “I definitely thought about quitting. I didn’t open the garage for weeks, where the bikes were,” he concludes.
“I authorized all things that had anything to do with bicycles to be put in boxes and taken away.”
Ultimately, retirement was not Groenewegen’s final choice, and in 2024 he embarks on his tenth consecutive season at World Tour level.
Review the accident