Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) (Image credit: Pasados de Volta)
Laurens Ten Dam (Blanco) leads the peloton(Image credit: Pasados de Volta)
Laurens ten Dam checks the route for the morning ride.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Purito Rodriguez would have preferred the overall win(Image credit: Pasados de Volta)
A crash in the Amstel Gold Race has put Joaquim Rodriguez's participation in the next two Ardennes Classics in question as he has a severe bruise on his left arm. However, Blanco's Laurens Ten Dam will be able to ride the next two races despite receiving stitches to his leg.
Rodriguez, the Katusha leader, crashed with 43 kilometers to go on Sunday, and although he got back on his bike, he abandoned shortly afterwards. Subsequent examinations showed “a strong contusion at the left femoral biceps muscle,” the team said.
Rodriguez had hoped to repeat his 2012 victory in the Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, but a decision on his participation in that race will be made later in the week. The team said that doctors will decide his recovery time and see if he is able to ride Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Team Blanco had better news, as Ten Dam plans to continue riding. He was involved in a large crash with about 100 kilometers to go on Sunday, and despite injuries was able to eventually continue in the race, finishing 44th at only 1:13 down.
He appeared to be dazed after the crash, but got back on his bike, and after the race was found to have no fractures.
"I have eight stitches in my calf," he tweeted. "But I'm ready for the races in the Ardennes."
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