Vanthourenhout injured in dog collision

Belgian cyclo-cross racer Sven Vanthourenhout (Landbouwkrediet-KDL) will miss at least a weekend of racing after being injured in a collision with a group of dogs.

Vanthourenhout was training with his teammate Sven Nys in a forest near Lichtaart when he was suddenly confronted with an oncoming pack of dogs and could not stop in time.

"In that forest there is a 'cross course that cyclo-cross racers use. When I turned out of a lane there someone was coming with some huskies in the opposite direction. It happened so fast that I rode right into the dogs," he told Sporza. Following the accident he posted a photo of himself on Twitter showing he had broken the fork on his bike in half.

An ultrasound later revealed a torn adductor muscle on his inner thigh. It was just the latest in a series of setbacks for the 31-year-old.

"I started the season with the idea of having a successful year, but since September I have had all sorts of ailments," he said.

"Yet I have remained calm, though it was sometimes difficult for me to recharge. Due to the accident, I can not race this weekend. Yet I want to focus on the months of December, January and February. I want to at least return to my form of last year."

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