Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten had a strong lead with less than 12km (7 miles) to go in the women's 141km road cycling race, when all of a sudden, it appeared her back tire drifted, causing her to clip sideways over her bike and crash viciously into a curb. After being evaluated by medical experts, Vleuten was determined to have suffered a concussion and three "small" fractures on her lumbar spine. She is set to spend 24 hours in intensive care, and is still conscious.
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"It really shook me when I saw Annemiek crashed in the road," van der Breggen said of her fallen teammate after the race. "If you see her like that, it changes everything."