Eddy Lissens – a former Belgian police officer – was working on the 2020 Tour of Flanders as a member of the race jury, using a bike inside the race. When street race world champion Julian Alaphilippe – a part of the decisive three-man breakaway – crashed into him, the Frenchman’s ensuing accidents put him out of the race, and instantly everybody knew Eddy’s identify.

“The breakaway had constructed up a lead of greater than 20 seconds, and so, along with the Shimano [neutral service] bike, I made a decision to take up a place behind the break,” Lissens stated, in keeping with Het Laatste Nieuws on Monday morning.

“We let ourselves drop again: the TV bike did that on the left aspect of the street and we selected the appropriate aspect,” he continued. “Ought to we even have carried out that on the opposite aspect of the street? Anybody who says such a factor has by no means ridden a race.”

One such individual was Alaphilippe’s Deceuninck-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere, who informed Sporza that the motorbikes “had no enterprise there” on the right-hand aspect of the street, and stated that they need to have been on the surface – on the left – because the street was bending to the appropriate and so the riders would all the time take the shortest distance through the apex of the bend.

“I did not do something uncommon,” Lissens informed Het Laatste Nieuws. “Such issues occur 100 instances in a race. This was simply an unlucky second.”

Nonetheless, the 64-year-old from Leuven, close to Brussels, added: “I felt horrible. I have been doing this for 20 years and nothing like this has ever occurred to me.”

It appeared from the TV photos that Alaphilippe had his left arm as much as discuss into his crew radio simply earlier than hitting the bike, which means that maybe he would have additionally leaned his head over to the left to talk into the microphone and so not have seen first Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) after which Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) flick left to keep away from Lissens’ slowing ‘moto’. It is a concept that seems to carry water.

“Afterwards, I bear in mind seeing that Alaphilippe had been speaking into his microphone and will not keep away from me,” Lissens stated. “I really feel sorry for Alaphilippe. His accidents are dangerous, however he additionally had the prospect to win the Tour of Flanders, and that is actually hit me onerous.”

Alaphilippe was recognized with two damaged fingers following the accident, and is about to have surgical procedure on Monday, in keeping with the Belgian media, whereas Lissens stated that he is obtained a wave of abuse over social media.

“That is affected me very deeply,” he admitted. “I really feel responsible, although I am unable to do something about it.”

In addition to apologising to Alaphilippe and sports activities director Wilfried Peeters on the spot, Lissens stated that he additionally spoke to a Deceuninck-QuickStep consultant after the race.

“I spoke to somebody from the crew and that was a optimistic dialog,” he stated. “I actually cannot, and will not, say any extra about it. I hope that every part will probably be all proper with Alaphilippe quickly.”