Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:55 AM
Milan Vader says goodbye to Visma | in an unpleasant way Lease a Bike. The Dutchman was involved in a major crash during the third stage of the Gree-Tour of Guangxi. Father – last year’s final winner of the Chinese stage race – turned out to be unable to continue his journey.
In the third stage of the Tour of Guangxi, the peloton was startled early by a major crash. Several riders were involved in the crash, including Milan Vader. The Dutchman appeared to be badly damaged and unable to get back on his bike.
“Unfortunately Milan was involved in an early crash and had to leave the match with an injured knee. We will release more information later. We wish you a speedy recovery, Milan!” says Visma | Lease a Bike know via social media.
🇨🇳 #TOG2024
Unfortunately, Milan was involved in the early crash and abandoned the race with an injured knee. More info will come later.
We wish you a speedy recovery, Milan! 🍀 pic.twitter.com/QK3tuKOSKU
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) October 17, 2024
Vader will therefore not succeed himself as the overall winner of the Tour of Guangxi, after he surprisingly managed to take the overall victory last year. It is also a farewell on a minor note at Visma | Lease a Bike, as the former mountain biker will compete for the Swiss team Q36.5 Pro Cycling next year.
Own opportunities
“I received a phone call sometime in May that they thought differently. But actually we agreed within half a minute. We simply cannot play to the qualities that I have in this team. Or it does not fit well with the team’s objectives. That’s why we put an end to it together,” Vader said in conversation with earlier this week CyclingFlits.
With his new team he wants and is allowed to drive for his own opportunities. “They looked through my data and were impressed by certain values. We can do something with that, they thought. Of course I can drive there more often for my own chance, we will try to make better use of my qualities.”