Tour de France History: There are some cycling stories that are hard to remember. But at the same time they must not be forgotten. One such story is Johnny Hoogerland's July 10, 2011 story.
Johnny Hoogerland fights for the mountain jersey
Johnny Hoogerland had not yet arrived in the cycling elite. The then 28-year-old denied 2011 his first Tour de France. Previously, the greatest success was the victory at the junior event of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 2011. With his Dutch team Vacansoleil he was now allowed to go to the Tour of France. Here he wanted to present himself as an active driver - and he succeeded. On the sixth stage he tore and conquered the mountain jersey. As part of several escape groups, he managed to wear the polka dot jersey for an extended period of time. This was a great success for his underclass team. And of course for himself as well. But on the ninth stage there was an unusual accident in which Johnny Hoogerland was lucky in his misfortune and became a symbol of the tough racing world.
The crash: car > Hoogerland > barbed wire fence
Unfortunately, falls are a part of cycling, just like the bikes and the riders themselves. But when uninvolved third parties cause a crash, it is particularly bitter. That's what happened on July 10, 2011 on the way from Issoire to Saint Flour. Johnny Hoogerland found himself in a breakaway with a few colleagues, once again defending his mountain jersey. There tried one France Télévisions escort vehicle to overtake the pros on the left. However, since a tree on the side of the road made it impossible to drive over the meadow, the driver had to swerve to the right. As a result, the escort vehicle touched several drivers, who then fell. While Thomas Voeckler was still able to stay on the bike, Juan Antonio Flecha and Johny Hoogerland were hit hard. The Dutchman in particular had to bleed – in the truest sense of the word. Since he is in a high arc flew into a barbed wire fence deep wounds were torn open.
33 stitches don't stop Hoogerland either
While the race was still going on, Johnny Hoogerland was examined by doctors at the side of the track, but then finished the stage. Later in the hospital had his wounds with a total 33 stitches to be sewn. Luckily for him, he was able to heal his injuries on the rest day that followed. Thickly bandaged, he continued the Tour de France. The pictures of his injuries went around the world. However, he himself was not impressed by this. With more attempts to escape, he was able to do that mountain jersey defend until the eleventh stage. After the tour, Johnny Hoogerland sued the production company Euro Média and received compensation from the insurance company. He suffered for months after the accident insomnia and back pain. In 2016 Hoogerland ended his career. Together with his wife he acquired a pension in Austria.