Speaking after the incident, the Belgian said, "It all happened in a fraction of a second. I was pedaling in the group with [Tom] Boonen and [Mark] Cavendish when suddenly my chain jumped the rails, and I ended up on the ground. Right away I could tell something was wrong with my left shoulder."
"Unfortunately this kind of thing happens in our line of work. However, I'm going to try and think positively and I hope to get back in the saddle as soon as possible."
The operation was performed on Wednesday at the Herentals Clinic in Belgium by staff Doctor Claes. Maes will rest for a period as he recovers from the initial trauma and subsequent surgery and before he resumes training.
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