THE Dutch cyclist who suffered an horrific crash while leading the Olympic women’s road race has revealed the extent of her injuries.
Annemiek van Vleuten looked battered and bruised in a selfie she uploaded to social media today.
Heavy bruising covers the left side of her face, while her eyebrow has been bandaged and her chin is scraped.
But the Team Holland ace still appeared cheery as she thanked fans for their support.
She captioned the post: “Thanks for all the messages. Hard to deal with my disappointment but also proud about our performance.”
Supporters and viewers worldwide were terrified for Van Vleuten, 33, when she flew over her handlebars and smashed her head against the gutter on Sunday.
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She was taken to hospital and was put in intensive care with three cracks in her spine after the devastating collision.
Van Vleuten reassured her following she was “fine” on Twitter on Monday after serious concerns were voiced over her well-being.
She tweeted: “I am now in the hospital with some injuries and fractures, but will be fine. Most of all super disappointed after best race of my career.”
Rio 2016 has played host to some frightening injury scares.
Team GB teen Ellie Downie, 17, suffered a sickening fall on her neck – but incredibly got up to complete her vault.
French gymnast Samir Ait Said, 26, broke his leg while vaulting during team preliminaries on Saturday.
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