Polti-VisitMalta racer Germán Gómez has become the latest rider to be hit by a driver this off-season, with the Colombian suffering several fractures as a result.
Gómez was training in Santa Rosa de Viterbo in Boyacá, Colombia, on December 5 when he was hit by a van driver. He suffered fractures to his left clavicle and the first metacarpal of his left hand as a result of the collision.
Polti-VisitMalta reported the news on Wednesday, noting that Gómez had been forced to miss the team's ongoing training camp in Spain.
"Medical checks scheduled for next week will provide a clearer timeline for his full recovery," the team stated.
24-year-old Gómez raced his second season with the Italian squad in 2025, scoring a season-best result of sixth at the Tour of Türkiye along the way. He issued a warning to drivers to take the issue of safety seriously.
"Please pay the utmost attention," Gómez said. "You are not the only road users – human lives are riding those two wheels!"
Gómez is the fifth professional rider to be hit by a driver in recent months.
In June, Cian Uijtdebroeks was lucky to escape injury as he trained for the Belgian National Championships, while in October, Pierre Latour was forced to draw his season – and career – to a premature close when he suffered an arm injury after being struck by a truck driver.
Last month, Thibault Guernalec suffered multiple fractures and a concussion after a similar incident, while later in the month, Lorena Wiebes avoided injury after a driver struck her from behind.
