Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten lay helpless in intensive care after suffering three cracked vertebrae in a stomach-churning high-speed crash while leading the Olympic women's road race.
The 33-year-old was 10km from Olympic gold when she tumbled over her handlebars and crashed into on a concrete curb on tricky descent that some have said was too dangerous for the Games.
Van Vleuten was left in a motionless heap on the side of the road as other stunned competitors raced by.
She was expected to spend at least 24 hours in intensive care in a Rio hospital before doctors decide the next steps.
The Dutch Cycling Federation initially said she was conscious and had been taken to hospital.
"Heavy concussion and three small fractures in her lumbar spine. She continues 24 hours in i.c. (intensive care)," the federation said on Twitter.
The federation added that she was "conscious and speaking"
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