Ivan Dominguez (Jamis-Sutter Home) was sidelined from competition following a crash that took place during the final kilometres of the stage three road race at the Tour of San Luis held in Argentina this week.
Dominguez was transported on a backboard by ambulance to the Policlinico Regional Villa Mercedez located nearly 100 kilometres away from the races' finishing city of Buena Esperanza. Despite severe abdominal and wrist pain, x-rays determined that there were no broken bones. Doctors confirmed torn ligaments to his wrist.
"I have broken my wrist three times before," Dominguez said. "It takes me so long to recover from accidents, sometimes like two or three months. I'm disappointed because I am at this race to get some good training and now I can't do anything. I think I had stomach pain from the way I crashed my stomach tightened up."
Jamis-Sutter Home is the only US-based Continental team competing in the seven-day stage race. The team was hit with bad luck that started when it lost is prime Argentinean sprinter, Alejandro Borrajo, who was injured following an accident with a car the week before the start of the race.
Borrajo suffered a concussion during a training ride when he hit a car while descending the Formula One Raceway in Potrero De Los Funes last Tuesday.
"The doctor said not to race so that they will do more testing," said Directeur Sportif Sebastian Alexandre. "It is a big loss for us because he was going very good. He was the guy that the team was expecting to go for the stage wins. All the other guys are coming from the USA and training in cold weather, but Alejandro is from Argentina and has been training really hard for the last 45 days to do well here."
Both Dominguez and Borrajo will restart their racing season at the UCI 2.2 Rutas de America in Uruguay, February 16-21. The Jamis-Sutter Home team will begin its North American calendar in California at the San Dimas Stage Race and the Redlands Bicycle Classic at the end of March.
