Video: Lorena Wiebes caught in mass crash at Track World Championships - 'It feels like a bowling ball has hit me in the rib'

Wiebes was riding near the front of the peloton when she became caught between Ireland's Lara Gillespie and Italy's Elisa Balsamo. She lost her balance, causing several riders behind her to crash as well. The 27-year-old was helped to her feet by Dutch team staff but left the track in visible pain.

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS after the crash, Wiebes described the impact. "It feels like a bowling ball has hit me in the ribs," she said. "My knees are scraped up and my ribs and shoulder hurt, but I think I've got off relatively lightly."

It is the second year in a row that Wiebes has suffered a heavy crash at the World Championships. Last year in Santiago, Chile, she went down during the Madison alongside Lisa van Belle. The Dutch pair were leading the race when a failed handover resulted in both riders crashing. Wiebes was forced to abandon the race, having won the omnium world title earlier that week.

Following the crash, she also shared a hateful message she had received on social media, in which someone described her injuries as "karma" and expressed hope that she would be unable to race for some time.

On the road, Wiebes has enjoyed another dominant season. The SD Worx-Protime rider has claimed 24 victories in 2026, including two stages at the Tour de France Femmes and four at the Tour of Britain Women. Only last week, she won all three stages and the overall classification at the Tour of Chongming Island.

Wiebes had also started the World Championships strongly, winning her third consecutive world title in the scratch. Her crash on Friday ended her chances of retaining the omnium title, while it remains unclear whether she will be able to compete in Saturday's Madison.