Cycling: With every new report that reaches us about the terrible training accident at Giant-Alpecin on Saturday, it becomes clearer that the six pros were lucky in their misfortune. Only two drivers remain in Spanish hospitals: John Degenkolb and Chad Haga. However, both patients have good news to report.
On Saturday afternoon, a training group from Giant-Alpecin collided head-on with a car near the Spanish town of Calpe. The driver was probably a 73-year-old British woman who was driving on the wrong side of the road, lost in thought. "Maybe it was a moment of inattention and she was driving on the side of the road she's used to in England," a source close to the investigation is quoted in the Spanish sports newspaper AS. "But here we drive on the other side of the road and this carelessness almost resulted in people dying." it says there.
Warren Barguil, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam and Max Walscheid have now been able to leave the clinics and travel to their respective home countries for further treatment. Barguil may still need surgery on his broken scaphoid, while Ludvigsson and Sinkeldam miraculously escaped with cuts and bruises. Unfortunately, Max Walscheid was hit harder: The 22-year-old will be out for several months with a broken tibia.
Unfortunately, the two most seriously injured drivers, namely John Degenkolb and Chad Haga, have to remain in hospital for some time. But there are positives to report from both. While the doctors were probably able to save John Degenkolb's left index finger, which was almost torn off, the American Haga is still waiting for the operation on his broken eye socket. From the sick bed, however, he is already in good spirits via Twitter and one might think that a comedian had been lost to him. Some examples?
[quote]Somehow I thought helicopter rides would be more fun. They seem to have a good marketing department.[/quote] [quote]Someone should study the effects of accidents on cell phones. Mine still works, but now weighs 10kg.[/quote] [quote]Weight loss for the ill-advised: Hit your face on a car - you won't eat for days.[/quote]Haga directs the highlight to the doping control officers:
[quote]I think I should give my current location. I'm afraid "The room with the blue walls" wouldn't help much though, and I don't know how that is handled with the ones with catheters.[/quote]Team boss Iwan Spekenbrink is less inclined to joke: “It is clear that the team will be set back by several months. It will certainly take some time for the team to return to its former strengths, but everyone will work hard, committed and closely together to get back there.” Of course, the top priority is the full recovery of all drivers. When asked whether Degenkolb could start at Milan - Sanremo, the Dutchman was rather pessimistic: "It's too early to speculate. But we also have to reckon with the scenario that it doesn't work," he told the German Press Agency.
But maybe it will work out in time for Roubaix? Anyway – get well soon to all drivers!
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