It is the worst possible scenario for all professional athletes, you train and focus one hundred percent in the off season only to be injured in the first competitive outing of the year. Liquigas professional Magnus Backstedt came out of his winter preparation in exceptional shape only to suffer what seemed like a rather run of the mill crash in the opening stage of the Tour of Majorca.
“As a professional rider its not if you fall off, it’s when and how badly” Backstedt said.
However, early diagnosis of the injury was good and the big Swede was back on his
bike for the GP Lucca and Tirreno Adriatico.
“For me to stand any chance of getting to peak fitness for the classics I had to get through the full race at Tirreno. I had some really good days, but also some where I was just in agony”
Further treatment ensued and Backstedt went into Saturday’s Milan-San Remo, again in good spirits.
“For the first 185km I was cruising, pedalling along nicely and doing the job for the boys. Within 5 pedal strokes my knee locked up and I was in total agony.”
Backstedt is now undergoing further diagnosis to find out the route cause of the injury
“I’ve consulted various experts in the field and will have an MRI scan and from that possible treatment this week. My main focus is to get back on my bike and back to
competition as soon as possible. I still have a window to get back in shape and be fully competitive for the classics, but day by day this window is getting smaller” He concluded.
Good luck and best wishes go to Magnus from RCUK.
