2009 Tour yellow jersey holder recovering from broken leg
Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
AG2R La Mondiale's Rinaldo Nocentini is recovering from a successful surgery to repair a broken leg which he sustained in a crash at last weeks GP Insubria. The Italian, who held the maillot jaune for eight days in last year's Tour de France, broke the lower part of his tibia and fibula in the fall last weekend.
"To be honest, other then tibia and fibula, I also broke my malleolus, a bone in my foot and my heel: So, I really massacred myself," the rider from Tuscany told Tuttobiciweb.it.
After three and half hours of surgery, Nocentini was upbeat and off pain medication. "I'm feeling good. So, I'm hopeful. Tomorrow morning I have another check up and if everything is ok, I will be home in the afternoon."
He now faces a lengthy recovery which will put him out of competition for months.
"I am told a month and a half," he said of his rehabilitation. "Maybe two [months] to get back on the bike. In 20 days I can do a little exercise on the rollers."
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