Fullana sidelined with back injury

Margarita Fullana and Irina Kalentieva chase.

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Fractured vertebra derails Spaniard's World Cup aspirations

Marga Fullana went into Sunday's UCI World Cup cross country race in Champéry, Switzerland, with the goal of taking back the lead in the women's series. However, a crash on Friday, two days before the race during training, changed her plans, and the Massi rider was forced to withdraw on lap two.

Fullana, the 2008 World Champion, was determined to compete on Sunday and started the race despite intense back pain. After the race, the Spaniard saw a medical specialist who diagnosed her with a transverse fracture of her L2 vertabra.

The injury means Fullana's World Cup season is over. She will not contest the finale this weekend in Schaldming, Austria, as she will require approximately one month of recovery. However, she said she is already looking forward to next year and promised to return to contest the World Cup in 2010.

Earlier this season, she won World Cup rounds in Madrid, Spain, and Houffalize, Belgium, and she was second in Offenburg, Germany.

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