Spinelli returns to racing at Univest

Talk about break neck speed (Image credit: Justin Spinelli)

Justin Spinelli becomes yet another member of the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast pro cycling squad to bounce back quickly from injury, making his return to the road at Univest this weekend after a dramatic fall shattered his collarbone 500 metres from the line in Philadelphia earlier this season.

Spinelli, who shattered his collarbone so badly that it required immediate surgery, a metal plate and ten screws, joins Dave McCook on the Univest roster. McCook was hospitalised for a concussion during track training for the US10K last Friday, then got on a plane to Atlanta and took third place on the podium alongside Emile Abraham of Priority Health and Karl Menzies of Health Net/Maxxis. Also in the Univest roster is Reid Mumford, back from a serious Tibial Plateau injury that showed no signs of slowing him down in the hills of the USPRO Road Race.

"We look after our guys well," said Jonas Carney. "It's the first order of business for a team whose title sponsors are all about health, wellness and nutrition. These guys know the team is behind them 100 percent and that helps them recover even faster. We've seen it with Reid Mumford, with McCook's broken hand early this season and we're sure Spinelli will be no exception. We're excited to have him back and at an important race like Univest."

Despite injuries, Carney noted that the Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast team really found its groove in the past couple of months. "Look at the results," he said. "Two podiums at Altoona, two podiums at Elk Grove, winning the USPRO Criterium Championship, then fourth at Chris Thater and third at the US10K. That's an impressive run for a first-year team and we hope to continue it with Univest next week and Leelanau after that."