Mattis will not defend World Cup jersey

Geelong World Cup winner Katheryn Curi Mattis (Webcor) will not be able to wear her well-earned World Cup leader's jersey in the upcoming Trofeo Alfredo Binda due to a a broken collarbone sustained in the Tour of New Zealand earlier this month. Mattis had hoped that her fractured clavicle would heal sufficiently to allow her to ride in the white jersey in the Italian World Cup round, but those hopes came to an end with her latest round of X-rays. "Defending the jersey would have been a huge honor. I am very disappointed," Mattis said.

In talking with her doctor and consulting with sport medicine doctors Max Testa and Eric Heiden, Mattis made the hard choice to stay at home, have surgery, and refocus on the later spring races. "When the doctor showed me the x-ray today, I was shocked to see that things had become worse. Initially, after the crash, the bone looked to be only fractured and now it clearly shows the bones displaced."

Disappointed, but not discouraged, Mattis still has European racing in her plans. She will join her Webcor team-mate, Christine Thorburn, and four other US riders to represent the US National Team in La Fléche Wallonne on April 23. From there the whole of the Webcor squad will do the Tour de Berne World Cup and the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Feminin.