Robin Carpenter suffers multiple fractures in Spartanburg criterium crash

L39ION of Los Angeles racer Robin Carpenter has suffered a multitude of injuries after he was taken out late on in the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Criterium in South Carolina on Friday night.

30-year-old Carpenter, a new addition to the L39ION squad for 2023, was riding at the front of the peloton at the end of the race when he was cut off as the group headed into a corner.

At high speed, Carpenter was left with nowhere to go and hit the ground hard. Hours later, after a long wait in hospital in Athens, Georgia, he announced via an Instagram story that he had suffered a broken collarbone, wrist, and several rib fractures in the crash.

"The doctor just came and told me my wrist was not broken, which was great," Carpenter said. "Then he said my collarbone is broken and I've got several broken ribs. And then he took another glance at the X-Ray and said, 'oh yeah, your wrist is broken, too', so that's great."

Carpenter also took to Twitter following the crash, posting a video of the incident and tagging USA Cycling as he wrote, "That was the most fucked thing I've ever witnessed in a bike race. Suspension??? WTH."

The Philadelphia racer had started his time at L39ION – after four years at Rally/Human Powered Health – with a string of good results.

Last month, he took victory on the final stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California, also grabbing third on the final podium. Later in April, he took another podium at the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium, the first round of the American Criterium Cup.

However, Carpenter now faces a lengthy spell away from racing having suffered a laundry list of injuries through no fault of his own.