Spanish Cycling Prospect Jaume Guardeño in Intensive Care After Serious Training Accident

Jaume Guardeño, a 23-year-old Spanish professional cyclist for Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, is in intensive care at Hospital Taulí in Sabadell after a serious training accident in Catalonia on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. According to his team's statement, Guardeño was involved in a collision with a vehicle and suffered serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. He was airlifted by emergency helicopter to the hospital, where he remains in the ICU with his condition described as serious but stabilized in recent hours. The accident occurred just two days after Guardeño completed the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, where he had finished third in the youth classification.

Stone on road triggered chain of events leading to crash According to the EFE news agency, citing sources close to the cyclist, a stone on the road caused Guardeño to lose control of his bicycle, sending him wider into the roadway and into the path of a car traveling in the opposite direction. He struck his head against the vehicle, sustaining what Spanish outlet As described as a serious brain injury. Guardeño was training alongside his younger brother, also a grassroots-level cyclist, at the time of the incident. The accident took place near Caldes de Montbui, in the province of Barcelona, where Guardeño was a resident. His team confirmed he was sedated following the crash, and that his condition, while serious, had stabilized in the hours after the impact. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA stated it would provide further updates as his condition evolved.

„Our teammate Jaume Guardeño fell during a training session last Tuesday, following his recent participation in the Tour of Catalonia. He was involved in a collision with a vehicle and was seriously injured. We wish him a speedy and complete recovery. ¡Força Jaume!” — Caja Rural-Seguros RGA via Fanpage

Guardeño had just delivered a standout Volta a Catalunya performance Guardeño had been one of the most notable young riders at the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, finishing third in the youth classification behind Lenny Martinez and Cian Uijtdebroeks. The accident occurred just two days after the conclusion of that race. Born on February 20, 2003, in Altea, in the province of Alicante, Guardeño turned professional with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA as a stagiaire in the summer of 2023 and has been with the Navarrese team since. His most prominent result to date was finishing 14th in the general classification of the 2025 Vuelta a España, which marked his Grand Tour debut. He had been identified as one of the team's candidates to compete in the upcoming Tour de France, for which Caja Rural-Seguros RGA has received an invitation from the organizers.

Guardeño's 14th-place finish at the 2025 Vuelta a España on his Grand Tour debut established him as one of Spain's most promising young climbers. The 2026 Volta a Catalunya, which concluded days before the accident, featured a youth classification won by riders including Lenny Martinez and Cian Uijtdebroeks ahead of Guardeño. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, founded in 2010 and based in Pamplona, has historically served as a development team for Spanish cycling talent and competes at the UCI ProTeam level.

Cycling world rallies behind Guardeño and his family The accident drew an immediate response from across the professional cycling community. Spanish cycling legend Alejandro Valverde posted a message of support on X, directing his thoughts to Guardeño's family, teammates, and team. The Royal Spanish Cycling Federation, along with Spanish teams Movistar, Kern Pharma, and Burgos Burpellet BH, also expressed their support publicly. The official X account of the Giro d'Italia sent a message of encouragement as well.

„All my support to the entire Guardeño family, his teammates, and his team. Strength and recover quickly.” — Alejandro Valverde via Ouest France

23 (years old) — Guardeño's age at time of training accident

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA said it would continue to update the public on Guardeño's condition as it develops, while the team's focus remained on supporting the rider and his family through what it described as a difficult time.