Australian Richie Porte - 2016 Olympic Games men's road race at Fort Copacabana
Richie Porte (BMC Racing) is expected to miss at least several weeks of competition after his team revealed that it would take between four to six weeks before he can train normally.
The Australian sustained the injury in a high-speed crash towards the end of the men’s Olympic road race in Rio. Coming down the final descent of the race, Porte came off on a tight left-hand corner. He was forced out of the race and later diagnosed with a fractured right scapula and contusions. He left the race via ambulance, unable to contest the medals as his trade teammate – Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet – sealed gold.
"Richie sustained a fractured right scapula and multiple contusions in a crash in the Rio 2016 road race. He was taken for observation and X-Rays at Vitoria Hospital in Barra and will now return home for rest and recovery," BMC Racing confirmed in a press release.
"At this stage no surgery is required as the fracture will heal with time. Richie will need a minimum of ten days off the bike, following which he can train on the rollers before working his way up to training on the road. He should be able to train normally in four to six weeks."
Rohan Dennis will be Australia's sole rider in the men's Olympic time trial on Wednesday.
It is unclear as to whether Porte will race again this season but the World Championships in October (9-16) could be a possibility.
Porte finished fifth overall in the Tour de France in July but was not included in BMC Racing’s long-list for the Vuelta a Espana, which starts on August 20.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Gerts and Quinziato update
BMC Racing also confirmed that two more of their riders, Floris Gerts and Manuel Quinziato, would also face time on the sidelines.
Gerts fractured a collarbone during his warm-up for the team time trial at the Vuelta a Burgos. He had surgery last week and "will be ready to return to competition in 30-40 days", according to the team.
Quinziato picked up a shoulder injury in the Tour of Poland in July but has now moved from training on the rollers to being on the road. No timescale has yet been set for his return to racing.
