News in brief: Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (BMC) has to pay dearly for a training session on a mountain bike. The Belgian broke his ankle in a fall and will need surgery. However, the 31-year-old was lucky in his misfortune - the fracture is not complicated and should not significantly affect the goals of the season.
The freshly crowned Olympic road champion in Rio had certainly imagined things differently. During a winter mountain bike training session, the Belgian fell and fractured his left ankle. But the consequences are less dramatic than one would fear - the fracture is clean and could already be operated on in Belgium.
BMC team doctor Max Testa expressed confidence in a press release from the team: “Unfortunately, injuries are part of everyday life for professional cyclists. Greg understands that too, having had to come back from injuries several times just last season. After his surgery, we will adjust his exercise program and meet with Dr. Leenders on his progress over the next two to three weeks. I am confident that the injury will not jeopardize Greg's goals for the season for 2017."
Get well!