Mani in doubt for cyclo-cross Worlds

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Caroline Mani is set to discover on Thursday if she will be fit to compete at the world cyclo-cross championships in Koksijde, Belgium at the weekend. The Frenchwoman crashed during the final round of the World Cup in Hoogerheide on Sunday, injuring her left wrist and both knees.

Mani fell at the very beginning of Sunday’s race after being brought down by Sophie de Boer’s crash in the opening tarmac section of the course. Mani was initially reported to have sustained a fracture of her left scaphoid in the incident, but the extent of her injury has yet to be confirmed.

“I have a scan this evening [Wednesday] to find out the verdict but I’m optimistic about my arm,” Mani told Directvelo.com. She is rather more concerned about the wounds to her knees, however, which have kept her off the bike since the accident, describing them as “damaged and swollen.”

Mani will find out the results of the scan on Thursday morning and if her wrist is not broken, she will take a final decision on her participation in the afternoon “by trying to train on the home trainer.”

Mani later said on Twitter that her wrist was not broken, but her knee was too painful and would likely keep her from racing.

In a bid to keep her spirits up, Mani has already prepared her equipment for the Worlds. “For the moment, it’s certainly compromised, but I’m keeping my morale up and I’m not going to give in that easily.”