Australian Olympic cyclist Luke Plapp has surgery after crash
Australian Olympic cyclist Luke Plapp has been rushed to hospital for surgery after disaster struck midway through his race.
Australian cyclist Luke Plapp has been rushed to hospital for surgery after a shocking crash during the men’s time trial at the Paris Olympics.
Plapp is now in a stable condition after the crash, which occurred on Sunday morning (AEST), AusCycling said.
The 23-year-old Victorian rider required abdominal surgery and remains in hospital. His parents and an Australian team doctor are by his side.
“Plapp was taken to hospital, where he is in a stable condition awaiting the results of scans,” AusCycling said.
The association later issued an update stating, “Plapp underwent abdominal surgery in a Paris hospital overnight”.
The three-time national road race champion and two-time national time trial champion came off his bike at about the 13.1km checkpoint and had set the fourth-fastest time at that moment, after a promising start to the race.
He was just two seconds behind then-leader Wout van Aert from Belgium.
Plapp had been competing in wet, dangerous conditions when disaster struck in the technical middle section. He was forced to abandon the race.
There have been calls for footage of the incident not to be shared online, after it began popping up on social media. While the broadcast didn't show how the crash happened, video on social media shows Plapp lying on the rain-soaked ground near a barrier before being helped up by an Australian team support member.
“He said in an interview that he’d been on the time trial bike every day since the Giro d’Italia,” one viewer wrote.
“All in. Please don’t post the video of him post crash, not nice to see.”
Others shared their support for the Australian rider.
“Gutted to see Luke Plapp crashing out. He was one of my outside favourites for a medal.”
“Get well soon Luke Plapp, so gutted.”
“Very sad to hear Luke Plapp crashing out of the Men’s ITT. Those roads were treacherous in the wet conditions. I hope he is okay.”
Plapp is scheduled to ride the road race next Saturday alongside Michael Matthews and Simon Clarke.
‘Hope you understand’: Olympic star defects
Australia’s star of the track cycling at the Paris Olympics has stunned the world with a shock defection to the old enemy.
Ride like every race is my last: Glaetzer goes for glory
After 14 days of medals, there’s one more podium on the line for the Australian cyclist that cancer couldn’t stop.
Major update in alleged Olympian killer case
There’s been a big development in the case against a champion cyclist who stands accused of killing his wife, a fellow Olympian.