Laurent Jalabert and Alex Zulle climb together in ONCE colours in 1995(Image credit: AFP)
A baby faced Laurent Jalabert finished second to Gianni Bugno in 1992. It was the closest the Frenchman ever came to victory in the road race(Image credit: Sirotti)
Laurent Jalabert sustained fractures to his right tibia and his arm when he was struck by a car while training on his bike on Monday. The former professional and current French national team coach is in hospital in Montauban, where he was due to undergo surgery on his injuries.
Jalabert is understood to have been knocked unconscious for a brief time by the force of the impact but his partner told RTL radio on Monday evening that his condition was never critical.
“I want to reassure people that he’s ok this evening. He is not in a critical condition, it’s just fractures,” Fanny Chassignet told RTL.
“We have been able to talk to him, his children too. We’ve seen him a few times and been able to reassure him and encourage him, and the messages he is receiving are doing him good too.”
Jalabert retired from cycling in 2002 but continues to take part in triathlons, marathons and sportive rides. After commentating on Paris-Nice for France television last week, he was training in the Montauban area on Monday afternoon when he was struck by a car, just over a kilometre from his home.
“It happened very close to home,” Chassignet said. “While he was coming down the road, a car wanted to turn off into a side street and apparently it cut him off. The driver didn’t see him. I don’t know, there will have to be an inquiry to establish precisely what happened. In any case, he had a helmet.”
The driver was questioned by police in Montauban on Monday afternoon. According to RMC, he said that he had been blinded by the sun and had not seen Jalabert.
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