Fractured Neck, Broken Collarbone, Relegation: Coppa Bernocchi Crash Takes Heavy Toll

Andrea Raccagni fractured a neck vertebra and Alex Aranburu broke his collarbone and part of his pelvis in a brutal, high-speed crash Monday at the Coppa Bernocchi.

Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) lost his podium place after the race jury relegated him in a messy finale to the Italian classic.

The pileup tore through the bunch about 600 meters from the finish in Legnano as riders were fighting for position ahead of a reduced bunch sprint.

Netcompany-Ineos riders Ben Swift and Filippo Ganna were among those gong down in the crash, and one rider smashed heavily into an unpadded light post.

Swift — who is retiring this season — crossed the line with cuts and gashes, but is still hoping to race Paris-Tours later this month.

Raccagni suffered a fracture of his third cervical vertebra, Soudal Quick-Step confirmed after hospital examinations that included a CT scan. The Italian was scheduled for assessment by surgeons Tuesday.

“He will be assessed by surgeons tomorrow to determine the most appropriate course of treatment and recovery,” the team said in its Monday statement.

Aranburu sustained fractures to his right collarbone and iliac wing, a part of the pelvis, Cofidis announced.

A win for Isidore in wild finale

The race jury relegated Van den Berg, who crossed the line third, to 33rd to last in the finishing group after a wild race in the mid-week classic.

Race footage showed the EF Education-EasyPost rider making shoulder contact with eventual winner Noa Isidore (Decathlon-CMA CGM) while moving up on wide roads.

Isidore swerved and made contact with Swift, who fell at speed and brought down several riders behind him. Riders fell into a cement curb and one rider struck a light post at high speed.

Isidore stayed upright and won the ensuing sprint ahead of Tommaso Dati (Team UKYO). Van den Berg’s relegation moved Movistar’s Orluis Aular into third.

Delivery van drives onto the course

And if that wasn’t enough drama for one day.

TV cameras caught a DHL delivery van pulling onto the race course between a late-race breakaway and two groups of chasing favorites.

Footage broadcast by Eurosport showed the driver waiting at an intersection as the riders and race motorbikes rode past. With about 19km to go, the van was spotted turning onto the race course.

The chasers were only about 40 seconds back and another group at just over 1 minute. Thankfully, there were no injuries or crashes reported by the delivery van.

It was the latest in a series of high-profile incidents of vehicles entering race courses over the past few seasons.