All three leaders of Omega Pharma QuickStep, the WorldTour’s most successful team of 2012, are recovering from injuries; two of them serious.
Levi Leipheimer, hit by a car on April 1, the day before the Tour of the Basque Country, hasn’t ridden a bike since.
Tony Martin, another rider involved in a collision with a car, has managed a maximum of an hour in the saddle since being discharged from hospital last week.
And Tom Boonen, whose foot injury can be considered minor compared against those suffered by Leipheimer and Martin, is due to address the media on Saturday (21).
Leipheimer suffered a fractured fibula in his left leg after being hit by a car on a final training ride before the Tour of the Basque Country.
The American is recovering at his home in Santa Rosa and a team official described his participation in next month’s Tour of California as “uncertain”.
“The Tour of California was one of the objectives for my season,” said Leipheimer. “I wanted to be competitive in order to win a fourth overall title. At this point, merely participating will be a success. I will put in my best effort to manage to be on the starting line, even though it won’t be easy.
“The situation isn’t pleasant at all,” he added.
“Ever since the day of the accident I haven’t managed to get back on my bike out on the road, and I honestly don’t know when that will be possible. Recovery is slower than we expected. I still have pain in my leg and I’m having trouble walking. I also have pain in my ribs and hips due to the fall, this is limiting my movement.”
Tony Martin’s physical condition is improving. The TT world champion, who was hit by a car last Wednesday during training, has had the pleasure to finally get back on the saddle, even though only for a limited amount of time.
Tony Martin was also hit by a car in training. The world time trial champion was riding near his home in Switzerland last Wednesday (11) when the accident happened.
He was discharged from hospital in Munsterlingen after treatment for facial injuries and fractures to his left arm and shoulder blade.
In a statement issued by his team today, Martin said he was “really happy” to have been back out on the road on his bike.
“I pedaled for 30 minutes yesterday on a bike path near home and today I went out again riding my bike for about an hour. Obviously, these aren’t training sessions, but just some pedaling to get used to the bicycle and the road again.
“I am trying to listen to my body and I’m pedaling without taking any type of risk. It’s a very pleasant feeling, especially thinking about the fact that a week ago I was lying in a hospital bed,” he said.
A spokesman for Omega Pharma-QuickStep said no date had been scheduled for Martin’s return to full training and competition.
“Right now I am focusing on my body and I am only thinking about recovering fully,” Martin added.
“I will start more intense training sessions only when I feel like I’m ready for it and the team’s medical staff will say it is ok to do so.”
Meanwhile, Tom Boonen, who will miss all three Ardennes Classics with a foot injury, will update the media on his condition at a meeting of his fan club on Saturday (21).
The winner of this year’s Tour of Qatar, E3 Harelbeke, Gent Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix, is expected to be fit enough to ride in a 70km ‘race’ for the club with other members of Omega Pharma-QuickStep.
