Fabian Wegmann (Milram) after Tour de France stage six(Image credit: sirott)
Francesco Reda (Quick Step)(Image credit: Franklin Tello)
Tirreno-Adriatico has been hard on rider's collarbones. Two more riders have crashed out with fractures in the last two stages, with Fabian Wegmann of Milram and Quick Step's Francesco Reda the latest of a surprisingly long list of early-season collarbone breaks.
Wegmann went down on Friday, when he was involved in a crash only 8km before the finish line. He flew home that same day and underwent successful surgery on Saturday, a Milram spokesman told Cyclingnews.
Reda crashed Saturday on a descent immediately after the feed zone. He was taken to hospital in Chieti where the fracture was diagnosed. He was to fly to Belgium Sunday evening and undergo further examinations. The rider and his Quick Step team will decide on Monday if he is to undergo surgery.
Wegmann and Reda join a growing list of collarbone victims. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team Sky) and Steve Cozza (Garmin-Transitions) crashed out of the Tour of Qatar with fractures, while Gerald Ciolek (Milram) damaged his shoulder in a heavy fall.
However as Lance Armstrong proved last season, surgery can greatly reduce recovery time for riders. And with many now used to training intensly on the rollers, they can often return to racing and quickly be back on form. Arvesen is an example of that. He is made comeback at Tirreno-Adriatico. He is not yet competitive but surgery and special training means his spring campaign has not been ruined by a broken collarbone.
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