Aussie team pursuit rider hospitalised after Rio training crash

Australian cyclist Melissa Hoskins has emerged from a race speed training crash without serious injury. Hoskins was taken from the Rio Olympics velodrome on a stretcher yesterday, but was later released from hospital.

Hoskins – an Orica-AIS team-mate of Annemiek van Vleuten, who spent 24 hours in intensive care after crashing in the road race – was part of Australia’s 2015 World Championships winning line-up but missed London this year through pneumonia, when the team finished fifth.

Cycling.org.au reports that the five-woman pursuit team that also includes Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure and Annette Edmondson were riding at around 60km/h when a clip of wheels resulted in the crash.

Edmondson remained upright. Ankudinoff, Baker and Cure also crashed, but were able to walk off the track having sustained only track friction burns and bruises.

Hoskins came off worst and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. After undergoing scans she was found not to have sustained any broken bones or other major injuries.

“I remember the whole thing, I had nowhere to go, straight over the handle bars and landed heavy on my side, and uncomfortably,” she said.

“For those watching it would have been spectacular, we certainly weren’t on a Sunday stroll, we were doing high speed race pace efforts now we are this close to competition. So when you crash at those speeds it is never nice especially when four come down, but I am counting us very lucky."

Team Leader Kevin Tabotta said the riders were in reasonable spirits considering they “touched the deck,” and said they remained focused on making the most of what he said was their best training form since they won the world title in 2015.

“There is no sure thing in cycling – there are those who have fallen off their bikes, and there are those who are about to. These girls have fallen off their bikes before. Falls are part of the sport, you have to move on.”

Hoskins said she would be taking it ‘day by day’.

“Now, it is obviously quite painful, but you can only throw caution to the wind and hope luck is on my side. I am staying positive. After four years of hard work, you don’t want to give up when you are this close. We will be OK, luckily we have four girls who are firing and who will fly the flag if I can't.”