Quick Step rider Sylvain Chavanel was one of the most serious casualties of the spring classics, crashing into the back of a team car during Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Frenchman suffered a fractured skull in the incident, which has put a stop to the rest of his spring campaign and could potentially prevent him from riding the Tour de France.
Nevertheless, the rider from Châtellerault is recovering from his injuries and is optimistic about returning. “I have good morale which is the most important thing,” said the Frenchman to sports paper l’Equipe yesterday.
Initial tests just after his crash indicated that the skull fracture had not affected the Frenchman’s motor or sensory skills. These have been confirmed by more recent examinations and having got over the initial pain his injury appears to be healing. “The first few days were difficult because of headaches,” he said, “but it’s getting better little by little. Fortunately the tests on my nervous system are reassuring.”
The good news for Chavanel is that he should be able to ride on his home trainer from next week, but he is not anxious not to do too much too soon. “For now riding on the road is not advisable because of vibrations,” he said. “I don’t know if my recovery will be quicker than expected but I’m not going to rush into anything.”