Annemiek van Vleuten looks back on horror Olympic Games crash
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 13/08/16 6:57am
Annemiek van Vleuten admits she was lucky to escape her horror crash at the Olympic Games in Rio with only broken bones in her back and concussion.
The Dutch rider was on her way to victory in the women's road race last Sunday when she came off her bike in spectacular fashion on the final descent from the summit of Vista Chinesa.
Van Vleuten spent time in intensive care and spoke to Sky Sports News HQ from the Rio hospital in which she is still receiving treatment.
She said: "I think I was very lucky. I've three broken bones in my back and a concussion but mentally is the hardest part. That's going to need some more time to recover.
"I watched back the video and I felt for my mother as it must have been horrible to see that. For me, I am okay now and the worst part was not going to the finish.
"There are always risks with cycling and people put pressure on themselves on the descent. I didn't take any strange risks because I knew I had a gap. It;'s risky but that's part of cycling and it was not an extremely dangerous downhill.
"I prefer to watch the part before the crash and we watched the part where I was riding uphill so well, better than I have ever done before, and that gives me positive energy to continue."
