Broken ribs for Geschke after Catalunya crash
CCC Team rider also suffered a fractured collarbone in comeback race
Simon Geschke (CCC Team) got some more bad news on Tuesday after x-rays revealed that he had suffered four broken ribs in the crash that fractured his collarbone on Sunday during the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya. Geschke had successful surgery on Monday to repair his broken shoulder, but further x-rays revealed the broken ribs.
The 33-year-old German announced the news on his Twitter account.
"Collarbone surgery successfully done and back home tomorrow," he wrote. "Bad news: another x-ray showed that four of my ribs are also broken. Good news: technically it can only get better from now on."
Geschke was originally expected to be back on the bike five days after surgery, and back in the peloton five weeks after that. There is no word from his team on how the broken ribs will affect that timeline. Geschke is in the first year of a two-year contract with CCC Team, and had only returned to racing at the Volta a Catalunya after breaking his elbow on the opening stage of the Vuelta Murcia in February.
The Catalunya crash occurred on a descent with six circuits left of stage 7 in Catalunya when the riders were reportedly travelling at around 70kph. Multiple riders came down in the crash, including Geschke, Romain Bardet and his AG2R La Mondiale teammate Tony Gallopin, who injured his shoulder, and Movistar's Marc Soler, who left the race with a fractured wrist.
"The crash was very severe because we were descending very fast," Bardet said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!