Dečuninck-Quick-Step is following the nine-month suspension of Jumbo Visma sprinter Dylan Groenewegen following a crash at the Tour de Pollogne in which Fabio Jacobsen was hospitalized with serious facial injuries, Legal action against Dylan Groenewegen is underway.

The two touched in the sprint finish in Katowice, with Groenewegen going off line and Jacobsen crashing into the wall at high speed. Jacobsen is now considering returning to training, while Groenewegen's ban (until May 7, 2021) was confirmed by the UCI earlier this week.

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws (opens in new tab) on Friday, Dečuninck-Quickstep boss Patrick Lefevere confirmed that he and insurance company Europ Assistance will take legal action in a Polish court.

"You never know when a lawsuit will arise," he said. Like most legal matters, it will be on a long-term horizon."

Het Laatste Nieuws also reported that Jacobsen may file a second lawsuit in the Netherlands. Both lawsuits will focus on damages caused by the crash.

Lefevere said he accepted the UCI's decision to ban Groenewegen for nine months.

"I don't want to talk about it any more," he said. 'Not because I'm afraid of the reaction, but because enough is enough. In any case, as a team we had no impact [on the ban]."

Following this accident, and the crashes of Remco Evenepoel at Il Lombardia and Steven Kruitschek at the Criterium du Dauphiné, Lefebvre and Jumbo Visma boss Richard Plagge checks safety measures at the race He raised the possibility of the team funding an independent safety organization.

He said that the UCI's announcement at the end of August of increased safety checks brought more stakeholders to the table to discuss safety. Lefebvre is in favor of having an independent safety expert, even if UCI President David Lapartient rejected the idea.

"At the moment, committees are set up for each subject. Hopefully things will move more quickly from now on. When the European season starts at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, there should be a concrete plan."

"I would like to see [the sprint] judged by independent experts. I propose to put the dirtiest sprinter in history at the head of the organization. Because people who have never ridden a bike can't judge what's dangerous and what's not.

"There are many nuances. Pushing with the shoulder is not always dangerous, and an elbow strike to the arm is more dangerous than an elbow strike to the buttocks. Rule #1 is that the rider must always keep his hands on the handlebars.

Lefebvre also proposed training for video judges, called "VARs," safer barriers, and improved warning systems for dangerous corners and traffic control.

Regarding Jacobsen, who last underwent surgery in October to reconstruct his jaw using a piece of pelvic bone, Lefevere said his sprinter is optimistic about the future. He is expected to be back on the bike by the end of the month, but his return to racing may be delayed until May.

"I was particularly shocked by his optimism. He is competitive, wants to come back, and isn't afraid.

"His jaw has to heal for three months until the implants are ready, then it will take another three months to get the new teeth in. And that will be in early May. By then he may be able to race without teeth."

"I'm no expert, but his breathing and vocal cords seem to be headed in the right direction. Fabio has many scars on his face. He will never be Elvis Presley again, but that will come later when we see where he came from."