Klier out after collision with tractor

By Susan Westemeyer

A collision with a tractor Tuesday evening has put an end to Andreas Klier's hopes of a successful Spring Classics season. The crash left the T-Mobile rider with a broken right cheekbone and a concussion.

Klier won Gent-Wevelgem in 2004 and finished second in the Ronde van Vlaanderen the following year.

"Yes, unfortunately it is true," T-Mobile spokesman Stefan Wagner told Cyclingnews, and added that team doctor Stefan Vogt and a specialist will check Klier to determine if he needs surgery. "It is still open as to when he can train again and whether he can start at the Ronde van Vlaanderen."

"The Classics? If I am honest, I am not thinking at all about cycling right now," Klier told sportwereld. "I just want to sleep for two weeks straight."

Director Sportif Tristan Hoffman looked at the situation more optimistically. He told Sporza that "this is a serious blow, but it is too early to say whether he will be out all spring or not."