Domenico Pozzovivo ‘confident he will get back to racing’ after being hit by car
The Italian will undergo further surgery and holds onto the hope he can make a comeback
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Domenico Pozzovio is “confident” he can return to racing after he was hit by car while training.
The Bahrain-Merida rider was involved in a head-on collision with a car on Sunday (August 11) near his home in Cosenza, Italy, suffering a broken leg, arm, collarbone and ribs.
Pozzovivo’s career has been threatened by the crash as the 36-year-old indicated he may not return to racing, but his team have now released an update and say he believes he can make a comeback.
>>> Video shows terrifying moment cyclist steps out in front of peloton at BinckBank Tour
After undergoing a five-hour operation on Monday (August 12) to stabilise the lower leg break, Pozzovo will undergo further surgery to treat the complex fracture to his elbow.
A statement from his team said: “Bahrain-Merida medical staff is in constant contact with the medical staff that is taking care of Pozzovivo. They talked to the surgeon Dr Christian Candrian – orthopaedic specialist at Lugano Regionale Civico Hospital – and he’s confident in Domenico’s possibility to come back on the bike. Pozzovivo is confident as well that he will recover well and get back to racing.”
Pozzovivo was seriously injured when the car driver took a turn too wide and hit the climber head on.
He had been down to ride the Vuelta a España, but instead he was left questioning his career as Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported him as saying: “They put an end to my career.”
But the latest update from Bahrain-Merida offers some hope that he may return to the peloton.
>>> Riders hit out at BinckBank Tour’s ‘crazy and dangerous’ finals
Pozzovivo will now undergo another operation on Friday at a hospital in Lugano, where he was airlifted after from a medical facility in Cosenza.
The team added: “All Team Bahrain Merida wish him a fast recovery and would like to express sincere thanks to the team medical staff that assisted Pozzovivo from the moment of the incident, remaining in constant touch with the Hospital and organising the private transport from Cosenza’s hospital to Lugano’s hospital.”
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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