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Thomas Voeckler (licensed CC-BY-SA 2.0 on Flickr by Laurie Beylier)

Thomas Voeckler hit by car, suffers broken collarbone

Europcar rider says out of World Championships after collision that saw him thrown onto windscreen riding pre-race warm up
by Simon_MacMichael
Wed, Aug 20, 2014 12:46
15

Europcar rider Thomas Voeckler says he will miss next month’s UCI Road World Championships after he broke his collarbone when he was hit by a car during a warm-up ride shortly before the start of yesterday’s opening stage of the Tour du Limousin.

The 35-year-old was negotiating a roundabout in Limoges shortly before noon when he was hit head-on by the vehicle, the impact throwing him against the windscreen, smashing it, reports Le Parisien.

Journalist Kevin Cao of the Populaire du Centre newspaper tweeted a picture of Voeckler immediately after the crash, together with one of the damaged vehicle, noting that “from the appearance of the car’s windscreen, the impact was violent.”

 

 

 

Voeckler said that he was making a turn around the roundabout when he was hit by the vehicle, which he remarked was being driven “very, very fast in town,” adding that the driver hadn’t seen him.

“It’s clear that it’s not even worth thinking about the World Championships, which I’d hoped to be chosen for,” he went on.

The rider noted that it was the fourth time he’d suffered a broken collarbone – the last was in Australia in January, shortly before the start of the Tour Down Under – but the first time the injury had been to the left one.

He also said that the latest injury had thrown his plans for the rest of 2014 into disarray.

“It’s clear that I’ll be off the bike for at least two weeks, which greatly compromises all my aims and races for the final part of the season.”

Team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau said, “It’s a black day for Europcar,” despite Christophe Kern finishing fourth behind stage winner Bjorn Leukemans of Wanty-Groupe Gobert.

Thomas Voeckler
SMIDSY
Simon MacMichael

Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.

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