Marina Romoli, a rider for the Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan team who was due to compete in this Sunday's Women's World Cup in Spain, was seriously injured in an accident during training in Italy yesterday, according to her team.
Romoli was unconscious when she was transported to the hospital in Lecco, and was then airlifted to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan where she was placed in an induced coma.
Doctors performed a nine-hour long operation this morning, using some 500 stitches to rebuild her face and were confident her life was no longer in danger. They were still concerned about the injury to her spine, but will decide if further surgery is warranted in the coming days.
