Domenico Pozzovivo sustains broken arm, leg and ribs in training crash involving car

Bahrain-Merida cyclist Domenico Pozzovivo has sustained multiple injuries including a broken arm and leg after he was knocked off his bike while on a training ride in Calabria following a collision involving a Fiat Grande Punto car.

The 36-year-old also broke six ribs in the incident, which happened at a crossroads as he headed towards Laurignano, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The motorist involved called for an ambulance and Pozzovivo was taken to hospital in Cosenza.

According to the newspaper, he remained conscious throughout and is due to be operated on this afternoon.

Pozzovivo, who supported Vincenzo Nibali at the Giro d’Italia in May, had just returned from the Tour de Pologne and was due to race the Vuelta, which starts a week on Satturday.

It’s the second serious injury he has sustained this year, with the rider undergoing facial surgery after crashing at April’s Fleche Wallonne.

Bahrain-Merida said on Twitter that it would provide an update on Pozzovivo’s condition once he has undergone surgery.

The incident comes less than two and a half years after Astana's Michele Scarponi was killed while training for the 2017 Giro d'Italia, when he was struck by a van, whose driver had failed to stop at a junction.