A stage of the Vuelta a Colombia cycling race finished in extraordinary circumstances as the race winner crashed into his wife after the winning line, leaving her requiring stitches.
Luis Carlos Chia came through the field on the drenched streets of Monteria, northern Colombia, and pipped Oscar Quiroz to first place after a thrilling sprint to the finish.
But the 25-year-old’s elation quickly turned to anguish as he crashed into his partner, Claudia Roncancio, who was trying to take pictures of her triumphant husband.
‘I tried to brake, but the bike didn’t respond. Thank god she never lost consciousness, they are checking her now. More than anything, it was a scare.’
Roncancio, a cyclist-turned photographer who now travels with her husband and records his cycling successes, was taken to hospital before being released on Monday
