Coledan faces surgery following crash on Worlds parcours

By Gregor Brown in Varese

Italy's Marco Coledan faces surgery this weekend following a life-threatening crash yesterday on the World Championships course in Varese. Coledan, 20, hit a truck on a trial run of the parcours that the team assumed was closed to traffic, according to the team's doctor.

"We thought the course was closed to traffic," said Doctor Daniele to Cyclingnews. Coledan finished 47th in last year's Under-23 time trial and is one of the three starters listed for Team Italy's Under-23 time trial today. He will not start due to multiple lesions and two fractures of his left knee.

Coledan and the other members tested the parcours yesterday afternoon. Daniele was in the car behind the rider on his test run of the 33.55-kilometre course.

"He crashed on a descent, through a curve, when the truck was coming up," described Daniele. "It was during the time allotted by the organiser. We did two laps of the course. The first lap there was police and on the second, there was no one, and the incident happened. ... We were in a right-hand turn and he crashed on his right side, but his left leg went under the truck."

The team took Coledan to the hospital and then returned to the team's hotel with the rider. His left leg is immobilised and he faces surgery this weekend.