The British cyclist Katy Marchant has suffered a broken arm and two dislocated fingers after a dramatic crash at the UCI Track Champions League meeting in London, which led to the remainder of Saturday’s races being suspended.
Marchant was involved in a collision with the German rider Alessa-Catriona Pröpster during the first round of the women’s keirin competition. Pröpster and Marchant veered to the right together on the approach to a left-hand turn and both were flipped over the barriers at Lee Valley VeloPark.
The race was suspended while both women received medical treatment, along with four spectators. Eurosport’s trackside reporter, Adam Blythe, was able to confirm that although the cyclists had fallen into an area of seating, there were no serious injuries.
“The good news is that the GB rider [Marchant] is OK,” Blythe said. “She has got a broken forearm, but seems to be in a stable condition. There were a couple of members from the crowd that were involved and they seem to be OK as well. Everyone’s in a good condition, although Katy Marchant has broken her forearm.”
Blythe also reported that Pröpster was not hurt in the incident and that the rest of the event, which was taking place across Friday and Saturday, had been cancelled. According to PA Media, Marchant was carried out of the venue by medics after receiving treatment for about 30 minutes.
Cycling’s world governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), released a statement on Sunday with an update on the condition of Marchant and Pröpster.
“After receiving prompt medical attention from the track medical team, Katy Marchant was escorted to the hospital by the British Cycling doctor. X-rays revealed a fractured radius and ulna in her right forearm, along with two dislocated fingers. Katy is in good spirits and is receiving excellent care from her medical team.
“We are also pleased to report that the other rider involved in the incident, Alessa-Catriona Pröpster, as well as the spectators, exited the venue after receiving medical attention.”
A statement from British Cycling posted on X said: “The event medics responded immediately, with one rider transferred to the hospital. WBD Sports, British Cycling, Lee Valley VeloPark and the UCI unanimously decided to suspend all further racing for the evening and want to extend their best wishes for a speedy recovery to both riders and all affected spectators.
“We also wish to thank the medical staff for their prompt response and ongoing support. We are working closely with all parties to review the incident before taking appropriate action. No further comments will be made at this time.”
Marchant won Olympic gold in Paris in the summer, triumphing in the team sprint alongside Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane. The Team GB trio went on to win the world title in Ballerup, Denmark in October.
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The London meeting of the UCI Track Champions League marked the finale of a five-stage event which began in France last month. Earlier on Saturday, British rider Katie Archibald secured victory in the women’s endurance league – but several other events were left uncompleted.
Saturday’s crash brought back memories of a similar incident involving Matt Walls, which took place on the same bend of the Stratford velodrome during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. That incident led the venue to install a higher safety fence around the track, which was in use for only the second time this weekend.
