Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) will miss the spring classics after sustaining a pelvic fracture in a crash during the final sprint of the Clásica Jaén on February 16, his team confirmed.
"After today's crash, medical examinations confirmed that Maxim Van Gils has sustained a pelvic fracture," the team said in a statement.
"Maxim will miss the upcoming months of racing."
Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was disqualified from the race for irregular sprinting in connection with the incident.
The 26-year-old Belgian was contesting second place in a three-man chase group behind solo winner Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) when the crash occurred in the final kilometre.
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) opened the sprint, with Christen positioned on the right side of the road. Christen then deviated from his line toward the left to follow Pidcock's wheel, squeezing Van Gils against the metal barriers on the left-hand side.
The contact forced Van Gils into the fencing, throwing him to the pavement. He landed on his right side and remained on the ground while other riders crossed the line.
UCI commissaires reviewed race footage and judged Christen at fault, applying a full disqualification rather than a relegation, removing him from the results entirely. Pidcock retained second place, with Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) promoted to third.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe said Van Gils had sustained a pelvic fracture and would be sidelined for months. The injury rules him out of his primary spring targets, including the Ardennes Classics, where he has previously finished on the podium at La Flèche Wallonne.
The injury comes at a time Van Gils had entered 2026 with renewed ambition following an off-season operation and a difficult debut year at the team. He had shown strong early form, winning the Trofeo Ses Salines and finishing third at the Trofeo Andratx-Pollença before travelling to Spain.
His absence also rules him out of the hilly classics, such as Liege-Bastogne-Liege, where he was to race alongside new teammate Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).
Cover image credit: Charly López / Red Bull Content Pool
