Despite being involved in a training accident with a car, Bahrain-Merida's Sonny Colbrelli has declared himself fit for Sunday's Tour of Flanders. A team release revealed the Italian suffered "a number of bruises on the left side and a right big toe contusion" in the morning accident before his departure for Belgium.
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Colbrrelli is yet to race the Tour of Flanders but has been consistent thus far in the classics with seventh at E3 Harelbeke and 13th at Gent-Wevelgem in his first year at WorldTour level.
"It really hurts, but on Sunday I will be certainly at the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen," Colbrelli said, going on to describe the accident.
"I was training behind the car that suddenly had to brake to avoid another car ahead. I could not stop in time and in the crash I was hooked to the bumper. The car dragged me for about ten meters and then I managed to free myself."
The Bahrain-Merida team doctor Carlo Gurdascione provided an update on Colbrelli's injury with the rider's toe the most pressing of his injuries
"He broke part of the nail and it’s obviously painful. Most likely we will have to cut off the shoe to allow the athlete to decompress the part that hurts,' said Dr Gurdascione.
A stage winner at Paris-Nice earlier in the year, Colbrelli is now unlikely to lead the team's ambition in Flanders due to his injury. The team will go into the race with an inexperienced squad with Chun Kai Feng, Luka Pibernik, Niccolo Bonifazio and Borut Bozic the only riders to have previously ridden De Ronde.
Cyclingnews will have live coverage of the 101st Tour of Flanders, followed by a full report, results, photo gallery, video highlights and news.
Bahrain-Merida for the Tour of Flanders: Jon Ander Insausti, Niccolo Bonifazio, Borut Bozic, Ivan Garcia Cortina, Sonny Colbrelli, Chun Kai Feng, Wang Meiyin and Luka Pibernik.