Czech Cyclist Forced to Remove False Teeth at the Tour de Flanders
Czech cyclist Zdenek Stybar was forced to remove his false teeth partway through the Tour de Flanders. Stybar had a dental bridge fitted after losing his front teeth in a crash at the Eneco Tour in August last year.
On Sunday, Stybar was about to start the ascent up the second peak of the Oude Kwaremont climb section of the 265 kilometre course when he felt the bridge coming loose. When Stybar felt the bridge loosening, he decided to stop momentarily and remove it.
After the race, in which Stybar finished 9th, 49 seconds behind the eventual winner, Alexander Kristoff, the Czech rider said that it wasn’t “the best feeling to ride without teeth” and added that he wasn’t sure how the results were affected by the fact that he had to take the bridge out just before the second climb up the Kwaremont.
Before he made the decision to remove the bridge, Stybar said that he had become distracted by the movement and it was upsetting his rhythm and preventing him from concentrating. He wasn’t sure what to do and eventually decided that it would be best to take it out. It is likely that he will now undergo further dental treatment to replace the bridge.
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