Fabien Barel goes off a jump on his way to second place. (Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Fabian Barrel (Mondraker Factory Team) was in the midst of a final testing sesion in the wind up to the first gravity World Cup when he crashed and broke his femur last weekend. He has since undergone surgery and is beginning the recovery process.
"It is for sure a big disappointment for me. I know that we did an amazing job over the winter, and I was ready to start rocking the circuit," said Barel. "Being stopped that way is tough, but part of the game. I know that better than anyone and as soon as I can, I will stand and walk forward."
The Frenchman was on a track he knows welll, but he landed slightly off line on a jump and caught his wheel in a rain rut. He tried to pull it back, but due to the high speed nature of the section (more than 50km/h), he could do nothing to save it. He went down hard and caught his leg between his frame and the ground.
Thanks to quick thinking of his friend Olivier from Sospel VTT, a doctor was on the scene in minutes and he was taken by helicopter to the hospital. Barel also injured his wrist and suffered a concussion.
The crash happened on Friday, May 7, and that same evening, Barel underwent surgery to pin his leg. After 24 hours, we was able to start to move his leg and 72 hours after the crash, he had regained 120 degrees of flexibility in his knee. Doctors predict a recovery time of two to three months.
Barel had been feeling on top of his physical and mental game with one week to go until the gravity World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
