Fractured rib puts Andre Greipel’s Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne ride in doubt
Andre Greipel suffers a fractured rib in a crash on stage four of the Volta ao Algarve which could put him in doubt for Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Lotto-Soudal will decide later this week whether or not Andre Greipel will ride Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne this Sunday after the German fractured a rib in a crash at the Volta ao Algarve on Saturday.
Greipel did not start the final stage of the race on Sunday after the fall the previous day and faces a fight for fitness ahead of next weekend’s sprinter’s Classic.
The 10-time Tour de France stage winner has ridden Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne several times in his career, with his best result coming in 2011 when he finished third.
Further examination confirmed that @AndreGreipel has a fractured rib, later down the week will be decided if he rides @KuurneBxlKuurne #KBK
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) February 22, 2016
Greipel’s leadout man Marcel Sieberg will likely miss Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne this weekend as he recovers from a respiratory infection.
What’s more, Thomas de Gendt and Gert Dockx were hospitalised after a collision with a car in training. Dockx suffered severe bruising to his leg, while de Gendt fractured a finger and suffered a concussion, making him a doubt for Paris-Nice in March.