HTC-Columbia sprinter Chloe Hosking’s Tour of Qatar finished 150 metres early yesterday as she touched a wheel in the sprint and crashed heavily. She was taken from the scene by ambulance as a precaution but the team confirmed that she was not badly hurt.
“Chloe is back in the hotel now and will be able to fly home with us,” HTC-Columbia sports director Ronny Lauke told Velonation. “Luckily nothing serious happened, except a few scratches on her skin.”
Australian Hosking finished third behind Rasa Leleivyte (Safi-Pasta Zara) on stage 1, and sixth behind Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) on stage 2. She was looking for another high finish when the touch of wheels brought her down.
The crash also brought down Leleivyte, wearing the blue young riders’ jersey, and her Safi-Pasta Zara teammates Oxana Kozonchuk, Marina Romoli and Lorena Fioresi. Lotto Ladies Team sprinters Rochelle Gilmore both also came down but all riders except Hosking managed to remount and cross the line under their own effort.
Hosking is riding her first full season for HTC-Columbia, after signing with the team as a trainee last September. The 19-year-old impressed in 2009 while riding for small Queensland, Australia MB Cycles Team, she won two stages and the overall in the Tour of Chongming Island in China. The then 18-year-old then moved to Europe and rode for the Dutch Moving Ladies team, as well as the Australian national team.