March 23/09 20:00 pm - Armstrong Crashes, Giro in Jeopardy, Comments from Spain

Posted by Editoress on 03/23/09
 

Today Lance Armstrong was involved in an unlucky crash at the 1st stage of the Castilla y León. Unlucky because after 17 years of Pro racing he fractured his collarbone for the first time.

Statement by Lance Armstrong Regarding Fracture of Collar Bone

Courtesy Astana

Comments from Lance Armstrong from Hospital Clínico Universitario of Valladolid where a fracture of the middle third of the right collar bone was diagnosed:

- How did the crash happen?

"At the end of the race, people started to get a bit excited to win the race. Everybody wanted to be in the front and couple of guys crashed in front of me, crossed the wheels and I hit them over the top. It happens quick when it happens. It could have been worse, I suppose. I have road rash abrasions on right hip and arm but the big problem is the broken collarbone. I never had this before. It is pretty painful. Now we must have to see how it heals. I will go back to the US and there we will decide on surgery."

- You must be very disappointed. Is the Giro participation in jeopardy?

"I am very disappointed. Very. Especially for the Giro. Now the biggest problem is the pain. It hurts. We will see. The guys in the hospital in Valladolid were great and very nice and helpful. But now I feel miserable. I need to relax a couple of days, fix the problem and make a plan. I hope I can tell you more about the Giro in a week."

- You almost never crash.

"I was thinking the same thing in the hospital that this never happened in my 17 years of pro cycling. That's cycling. It's nobody's fault. Crashes happen all the time. It is part of the job."

Video of crash aftermath and Armstrong abandoning race.