Daniek Hengeveld Suffers Serious Injuries in Tour of Britain Crash: Urges Others to Prioritize Mental Health
On Monday, June 10, 2024 at 13:10, 21-year-old Daniek Hengeveld (dsm-firmenich PostNL) sustained multiple fractures from her fall on the final day of the Tour of Britain Women. The young cyclist took to Instagram to share that she is going through a tough period both physically and mentally. It is her mental state that she believes led to the crash. “I couldn’t focus properly,” Hengeveld said.
In an emotional Instagram post, the 21-year-old cyclist expressed feeling unwell. “The past few days have been the toughest days of my life with both physical and mental pain. I don’t exactly remember what happened on Saturday, but I know I wasn’t focused due to personal circumstances. Now I’m in the hospital with a broken jaw, broken collarbone, and several broken ribs.”
Hengeveld takes this opportunity to warn other riders. “Please let this be an eye-opener for everyone: a rider’s mental state is just as important as their physical condition. Talk about what you’re going through. There was so much going on with me outside of cycling that I couldn’t focus. That probably caused the fall.”
Hengeveld now faces a long rehabilitation of several weeks. The cyclist from dsm-firmenich PostNL ends her message with apologies to the others involved in the crash during the Tour of Britain.