Yesterday Quick Step's new recruit Iljo Keisse was preparing for this week's World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark when he crashed hard on the track. His teammate Jonathan Dufrasne went down in front of him leaving the Belgian with nowhere to go, resulting in a broken collarbone.
“Months and months of work for this event and then in a moment it was all over,” said a disappointed Keisse following the crash.
“We were training on the track in Copenhagen. I was on Jonathan Dufrasne’s wheel. We were pedaling at over 60 kph when all of a sudden he fell. We were going too fast and there was nothing I could do to avoid the crash," he explained.
"I knew right away my collarbone was broken. I’m really sad and disappointed. Everyone knows how much these World Championships meant to me. I’d been working up to them for a long time. What’s important now is to turn the page, recuperate as best I can and concentrate on the rest of the season with team Quick Step. I hope my team mates have a great World races and obtain some significant satisfactions.”
Keisse will be returning to Belgium today, and will be visiting with the team's medical staff tomorrow to evaluate the condition of the fracture. At that time they will determine whether an operation is required.
This is the second fractured collarbone for team Quick Step in two weeks, following Francesco Reda’s mishap in Italy at Tirreno-Adriatico.