Cheatley suffers career-threatening crash in Taranaki

Olympian Cath Cheatley is facing a long period of recovery and rehabilitation after her second major crash in the same number of years. Cheatley was competing in an event in Taranaki, New Zealand, when after tangling with another rider she crashed, and was seriously injured.

28-year-old Cheatley spent this year racing with the Colavita Forno d'Asolo team and is coming off a succesful 2010 where she won the individual women's NRC.

According to a release from BikeNZ Cheatley suffered multiple fractures of her hip and after initial surgery in Taranaki Base Hospital she was today airlifted to Auckland where she will face further operations.

"It's a serious injury for sure and Cath will face more surgery now in Auckland," said her husband Dayle Cheatley. "It's pretty gutting because Cath was returning to full fitness after injuries affected her badly last year in the United States, but from all reports this accident was unavoidable.

"Right now it is much too early to speculate about her future in the sport but we are hopeful she will make a full recovery."

The current New Zealand road champion had only recently returned to racing following a previous accident in June, when she broke two bones in her pelvis.