Better than it first seemed for Dutch and French riders, but World championship looks doubtful for both
For Sophie de Boer (Telenet-Fidea) and Caroline Mani (France) the World Cup cyclocross race in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, lasted just a few seconds as a massive crash saw both riders hit the tarmac of the starting straight. The incident occurred as a rider came off in the middle of the accelerating pack, her bike fell in front of de Boer’s, and the Dutch rider could do nothing but hit it. The Telenet-Fidea rider hit the ground hard, and the riders behind her had nowhere to go; Mani was one of those.
As the majority of the prostrate riders remounted and got on with their races, de Boer and Mani stayed down. Both were still there, receiving treatment, as race winner Marianne Vos (Rabobank) completed her first lap, and both were taken off to hospital by ambulance, which stayed at the scene for two more passes by the World champion.
Mani lay clutching her wrist – in a pose that could have indicated a broken collarbone, while de Boer was thought to have possibly broken her shoulder blade too. Thankfully, for neither, the injuries were not as bad as first thought, but both seem unlikely to be fit again in time for next week’s World championships in Koksijde, Belgium.
“Have left the hospital at last, fortunately no collarbone or shoulder fracture!” de Boer posed to Twitter. “However, supposedly a break in my wrist but that is not certain yet. Another scan tomorrow and then wait and see if it is heavily bruised or a fracture… further deep abrasions!!
“Hopefully everyone crosses their fingers that it turns out better than expected, and that I can ride next week,” she added, before thanking everybody for their messages of support.
“We can inform you that Sophie is doing well,” Young Telenet-Fidea press officer Corne Lepoeter confirmed to VeloNation. “She didn't break her shoulder or collarbone. We [will] get some more information about her wrist tomorrow and we will inform you tomorrow about it.”
For Mani the news was similar, and she had been holding her left wrist because it was that that had taken the impact of the crash. The Frenchwoman, who turned 24 years old in the last week, posted a picture of herself with a temporary cast on her wrist and abrasions to her face.
A statement from the French Cycling Federation (FFC) confirmed that Mani had a suspected fractured scaphoid bone, putting her Worlds participation in doubt.