Nydam season cut short

By Kirsten Robbins in Salt Lake City, Utah

BMC rider Scott Nydam broke his collarbone when he crashed during stage two at the 2008 Tour of Utah in Salt Lake City. Nydam was taken from the race site to the hospital and will undergo surgery at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital.

The GC hopeful crossed wheels with another rider when he tried to properly dispose of a water bottle at the side of the road. "It was a small cause with big ramifications," said Gavin Chilcott, BMC team director. "It's not exactly a battle scar."

Chilcott still remained hopeful that Nydam's season wasn't over yet. "Our team doctor, Eric Heiden is here in Salt Lake City and he'll be taking care of Nydam," he continued. "We are optimistic that he will be back before the end of the season at the Grand Prix de Wallonne in September."

Nydam has had a successful season in both North America and European campaigns. He began with a most aggressive riders jersey in the Tour of California, a third place podium in the overall classification at the Tour de Nez, second place overall in the Tour de Wallonne climber's competition.

"He's had a successful season in my opinion," said Chilcott. "He wanted to define his interaction with the race on new terms. He had fantastic preparations and would have left his mark on the Tour of Utah race if he hadn't had the accident."