Thibault Guernalec, 28-year-old French cyclist formerly at Arkéa-B&B Hotels, suffered a serious accident last week when a car hit him while training. He suffered fractures to his lower back and finger, as well as a concussion, but said that "came within an inch of being in a wheelchair".
"What scares me is that I don't remember anything" Guernalec told French newspaper Le Télégramme. "I don't remember going for a ride, I don't remember texting my loved ones before I left. I don't remember the accident either.
My speedometer says I was going 50kph on a slight downhill. For almost four hours after that, it's a complete blackout. I have no memory of anything. Nothing", and told how close he was from a much horrific accident: "If you saw my helmet...". It will take six weeks to recover, and the accident shows the danger professional cyclists are exposed during training sessions.
Guernalec has competed as a professional since 2017, and worked since 2018 for UCI WorldTeam cycling team Arkéa-B&B Hotels, formerly Fortuneo-Samsic, since 2018, although CyclingNews reports he was dropped from the team and is expected to join TotalEnergies next season. Among his best results is a fifth place in Étoile de Bessèges, but failed to make it to Tour de France due to a hand fracture.