Tough Dutchman will start stage three but team jokes that gear changes may be difficult
Disaster struck for Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) in the closing kilometres of yesterday’s second stage of the Ruta del Sol. The combative Dutchman was heading towards the finish of the tough 162km stage in the lead group when he hit a traffic island and came down hard. He was not badly hurt in the crash but, according to pzc.nl, he lost two fingernails in his right hand.
Hoogerland managed to get back up and ride to the finish, just 1’34” behind stage winner Jonathan Hivert (Saur-Sojasun) but was taken straight to hospital, where his injuries were treated.
The tough Dutchman will be starting today’s third stage, but will doubtless find it tough using his SRAM Red Double Tap levers with the two nails missing from his left hand and a dressing on the middle finger of his right.
His Vacansoleil-DCM team posted a rather gory picture of Hoogerland’s right hand, showing his missing middle and little fingernails.
“Hoogerland predicts he will just change gears once today and keep that for the rest of the day,” jokes the caption, with the added “#fingerscrossed” hashtag.
Despite the team’s summary of the stage stating that Hoogerland’s crash happening inside the last three kilometres he has not been given the same time as the stage winner, although this may be subject to change.