bloodied face fights to the end like a tour de france warrior

In professional cycling races, inspiring stories of perseverance and determination often occur. Last week, we recounted the story of Dutch cyclist Johnny Hoogerland, who crashed into a barbed wire fence during the ninth stage of the 2011 Tour de France, suffering severe leg injuries but continuing to race and winning the King of the Mountains title for three consecutive stages, moving many of our readers. There are many more stories of cyclists fighting through injuries in the Tour de France.

In the same 2011 Tour de France, another Dutch cyclist, Laurens ten Dam, who was riding for the Rabobank team, crashed 58.8 kilometers from the finish line during the fourteenth stage. He lost control of his bike in a high-speed turn and tumbled into the grass beside the road.

In this severe crash, ten Dam's head hit the ground first. Although his helmet protected his head from injury, his nose was badly hurt.

Due to the intense pain, ten Dam sat on the side of the road holding his face—his face and elbows had suffered serious injuries.

However, after medical staff arrived and bandaged his severely injured nose, ten Dam did not undergo further checks to see if his nose was broken. Instead, he got up with a face covered in blood and continued the race, enduring the pain.

Due to the time lost in the crash and the impact of his injuries, ten Dam finished the stage 26 minutes and 45 seconds behind the stage winner. However, he received applause from all the spectators when he crossed the finish line.

After the stage, ten Dam was immediately taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed that his nose was not broken. He was relieved—he could continue racing in the subsequent stages.

In the fifteenth stage the next day, ten Dam removed his bandages, exposing his unhealed wounds. As a professional athlete, he decided to continue competing as long as his injuries were not severe.

Currently, this 37-year-old veteran, born in 1980, is still competing in top cycling races like the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. Although ten Dam is no longer in his prime, his tenacious spirit will be remembered alongside other indomitable cyclists in history.

From past to present, the Tour de France has produced many warriors. For example, in the 1962 race, a cyclist suffered a severe head injury (helmets were not mandatory at that time) but refused to stop racing. Medical staff had to treat his wounds while he continued riding, a scene that moved everyone who witnessed it.