Fractured neck bone for De Ketele

Belgian Kenny De Ketele of team Topsport-Vlaanderen has had a dramatic week. After breaking a bone in his neck in a crash at Sunday's Sparkassen Giro he then celebrated the birth of his first child on Monday.

De Ketele, 24, crashed in Germany's Sparkassen one-day race and fractured a bone in his neck. Doctors cleared him of serious consequences and ruled out a need for surgery. De Ketele's recovery from the injury is expected to take about four weeks.

The drama of De Ketele's injury had been amplified by an incident involving the ambulance transporting him from the race. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance collided with another vehicle. However, De Ketele did not suffer further injuries.

His wife, Sara Peeters, had been expected to give birth to the couple's first child later this week, but daughter Lena arrived the day after her father's accident.

"Maybe the news of his fall had something to do with the early delivery," Peeters told Het Nieuwsblad. "The most important thing is that Kenny and Lena are doing well."