Ronan Auge in induced coma after Tour of Langkawi crash
French cyclist Ronan Auge has been placed in a medically induced coma after a crash at the Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia.
The 22-year-old suffered serious injuries on stage six and was taken to hospital. Doctors put him in a deep, controlled sleep to help his recovery. His condition was later described as stable and not life-threatening, BBC Sport reported.
The Tour of Langkawi is an eight-stage race held on the western side of the Malaysian mainland. It is a UCI ProSeries event, the second tier of professional men's road racing below the WorldTour.
Auge was riding for Unibet Rose Rockets. The team's Rockets Cycling account posted a short message of support: "We're all behind your, Ronan."
The crash came late in the race. Auge had been in good form at the start of the week. He finished fourth on stage one in a bunch sprint — a high-speed finish contested by the main pack of riders — in the same time as the winner, 4:06:53.
That opening stage was won by Italy's Matteo Malucelli in a photo finish with Canada's Riley Pickrell, CyclingNews reported. Malucelli himself needed X-rays on his hand and treatment after a crash the previous Saturday.
No further details of Auge's injuries have been released. His team has not yet given a timetable for an update.
