Backstedt's year of woe continues

Liquigas rider Magnus Backstedt must be starting to wonder what he did to warrant such bad luck in 2006. The big Swede crashed on the opening stage of his first race of the season, suffering an almost career-threatening knee injury.

After rehabilitation, Backstedt fought his way back to fitness so quickly that his Liquigas team had him on the start line of the Tour de France in Strasbourg. He finished his season well and was looking forward to a busy winter on the track only for everything to come unstuck once again.