Rigoberto Uran's season hit a snag when crosswinds devastated the peloton on stage 2 of Paris-Nice, leading to several crashes including one with 40km to go that caught out the EF Education First rider. Uran suffered a broken left collarbone and abandoned the race.
Dr. Jon Greenwall, EF Education First's team doctor, said that except for the fracture and road rash, Uran had no other injuries, specifically no head injury.
"I had a tough crash," Uran said after leaving the hospital. "Today, there was a lot of wind. I touched a rider, another rider touched my wheel. I feel disappointed, of course. I had good legs. That's cycling."
Uran will head straight to Monaco to have surgery to repair the break, allowing him to return to training indoors as soon as he recovers, but the team say his return to racing will be carefully evaluated.
His return to racing will be carefully evaluated.
"It's always tough when you see anyone on the team take a hard fall like that. These guys put a ton of time in during the offseason training for the early season, so I feel for them when there's a setback," said EF Pro Cycling CEO, Jonathan Vaughters. "We wish Rigo a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to the races once he's ready."
Uran was one of a number of riders to be injured in crashes. On stage 2 Frenchman Warren Barguil suffered a double fracture to his second cervical vertebra and left the race wearing a neck brace.
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Astana's Gorka Izagirre injured his elbow in a crash but later examinations found no fractures, just contusions to his elbow and hip.
Dimension Data lost both Louis Meintjes and Mark Cavendish on the stage.
