Cervélo TestTeam's Thor Hushovd underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair a broken collarbone from his crash the previous day. Hushovd was training in Italy when he collided with a young girl that sent him crashing the ground.
The big Norwegian's first reaction was to try to help the youngster, but realized immediately that he was in a bad way. "First I tried to help her, but I soon realized that I was not able and there was something wrong. Unfortunately, I broke my collarbone. The little girl is fine,” he said afterwards.
Just as the team will be getting Heinrich Haussler back at the Tour of California, they will again be missing one of their key riders.
“The surgery went pretty well. It was more complicated than actually expected,” said the 32-year-old Hushovd today. “I had a good day after the operation but yesterday I had a little bit more pain. Yesterday I flew home, and I’m happy to be back home now in Monaco, to start the recovery process and spend some time with my family.”
Making sure the injury heals properly for his green jersey title defence in the Tour de France is now Hushovd’s primary focus. The the team says he plans to take it day by day and will not race until he is fully recovered.
“It will take time for Thor to fully recover," explained the team doctor Andreas Goesele "It was a difficult fracture but he had a good surgery at the CrossKlinik in Basel (SUI). I am very pleased that he could have the operation here, where we have perfect surroundings and the best staff. The recovery phase will start today already, with some indoor training at Thor’s home in Monaco.”