Top-Mountainbiker crashes and loses consciousness
Mountainbiker Nina Benz Travels Without Medal Chances to Paris, but the Race is Still a Highlight for Her. A French Woman is Concerned After the Race. Medal Candidate Loana Lecomte Crashes in the So-called Rock Garden.
The mountainbike race at the Olympic Games was overshadowed by a heavy crash of the French medal candidate Loana Lecomte. The 24-year-old fell while lying in third place in the fourth round in the so-called Rock Garden and was initially motionless.
A video circulating on X shows how Lecomte is carried through the forest on a stretcher from the track. French RTL journalist Nicolas Georgereau reported that Lecomte had lost consciousness for a moment but was now being medically treated and there was no cause for concern. According to RMC, she had only suffered a light concussion.
Nina Benz missed her expected top placement as usual. The 25-year-old from Freiburg finished the 30.8 kilometer long race over the Elancourt-Hill in front of 13,000 fans in 16th place. For the EM third place, the participation in the Summer Games was the peak of her career so far.
On the 231 meter high hill, which is the highest elevation in the Paris region, Benz had a 7:41 minute deficit to Olympic champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot from France at the finish. The big favorite had separated herself in the second of seven laps and broke into tears at the finish line. She lifted her bike into the air. On Monday, the decision will be made among the men. The German Cycling Association (BDR) expects a small medal chance from the Nürtingen Luca Schwarzbauer. Starting from the first row, he has an advantage due to the initial tight and fast course. Top favorites are Tokyo Olympic champion Thomas Pidcock from Great Britain and Rio Champion Nino Schurter from Switzerland.
Despite missing her potential medal chance, cyclist Nina Benz still found joy in participating in the mountainbike race at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. Regardless of the impact of Loana Lecomte's crash on the French team's prospects, the Olympic Games cycling events continue to draw worldwide interest, with the men's competition set for Monday.
