By Antonio J. Salmerón
Nicolas Mateos-Murcia climber Manuel Vázquez was hit by a bus Wednesday afternoon while he was training on the outskirts of Granada, where he lives. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he was examined by doctors. X-rays revealed a sprained left knee, a heavy blow to the left hip and several bruises. Doctors advised several days of rest for Vázquez before returning to training.
"The bus passed me before taking a curve, and I almost closed [the gap] before it stopped. When the bus stopped and was going to pass me [again] on the left, it hit me. The bus driver did not see me," said Vázquez to Cyclingnews about what happened. ""Fortunately someone shouted to the bus driver, and stopped the [driver's] maneuver; had it not stopped, the bus could have driven over me."
"I will see how the injuries evolve in the coming days," he said. "What worries me is the knee."
Last year's winner of the Volta the Alentejo is confident in his recovery. "I do not suppose it will cause major setbacks. I am at an advanced stage of training preparation, ready to go out strong in the first race of the season like I did last year." Vázquez intends to open his season with the Challenge of Mallorca.
