Jakob Fuglsang’s intention to chase a top result for the RadioShack Nissan team in the Giro d’Italia has received a setback after confirmation that he suffered a fracture in a fall yesterday.
The Dane was one of several riders who crashed early on during stage three of the Volta a Catalunya. He was a non-starter today after a diagnosis of a scaphoid fracture.
RadioShack Nissan has confirmed that he will undergo an operation, either tomorrow on what will be his 27th birthday, or the following day. It will be carried out in Basel and will have the aim of speeding his recovery.
“He will be able to train on rollers from Monday on and will return to racing wearing a cast,” the team stated.
Fuglsang is a three time winner of the Tour of Denmark and also took the Tour of Slovenia in 2009. He was fourth last year in both the Amstel Gold Race and the Tour de Suisse, and went on to place eleventh in the Vuelta a Espana.
This year he was fourth in the Trofeo Deia and fourteenth in the Tour of Oman. He was using the Volta a Catalunya to build his form prior to starting the Italian race in his native Denmark on May 5th.
The Giro d’Italia was his chance to make further progress as a GrandTour rider, but, with the race a month and a half way, his preparation will be disrupted.
His RadioShack Nissan team told VeloNation today that it is as yet uncertain when he will return to competition.