Yoann Offredo (Wanty Groupe-Gobert) has published photos on his social media accounts that show the wounds of an attack he says he suffered while out on a training ride.
The Frenchman says he was assaulted while out on a ride with two friends by assailants with a baseball bat and box cutter.
He didn't state where or when the attack took place, but showed his injuries with three images and posted an impassioned message saying that he was "far from imagining this job would be so dangerous," when he became a professional cyclist.
"Today [I was] a victim of assault," he added. "Result: a fractured nose, a rib in a sorry state and bruises all over the body. But beyond physical wounds, I am above all shocked."
The 30-year-old moved from his native WorldTour team FDJ to join up with Belgian Pro Continental squad Wanty at the start of this year, and placed 14th in the recent Monuments Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Offredo went on to add that he doesn't want his kids to cycle, because of the dangers of the sport.
"I'm not angry," he wrote. "I'm not angry, I'm just sad to say that I hope my children don't take up this great sport that I love... too dangerous."
"You leave for training in the morning, but you never know if you're going home."
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL7 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
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