Lance Armstrong injured

[Midmichigangal]

Armstrong falls, might have broken collarbone
7-time Tour de France winner takes tumble after pileup during Spain race
The Associated Press
updated 1:12 p.m. ET, Mon., March. 23, 2009
BALTANAS, Spain - Lance Armstrong was taken to the hospital Monday with a possible broken collarbone after falling during a pileup in the first stage of a race.

The seven-time Tour de France champion was grimacing and trying to hold his right arm as he entered an ambulance.

Organizers of the five-day Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race said Armstrong has a “suspected bone fracture” after his tumble 12.5 miles from the finish.

“Lance crashed and is out,” teammate Levi Leipheimer wrote on his Twitter Web feed. “Possible broken collarbone.”

Organizers said Armstrong was being transferred to Valladolid University Hospital after initially being taken to the Rio Carrion hospital in Palencia.

The 37-year-old Texan is making a comeback to cycling and is riding with the Astana team as he prepares for another possible shot at a Tour de France title. He had not raced in Spain for five years.

The mainly flat first stage Monday covered 109 miles from Paredes de Nava to Baltanas. It was won by Joaquin Sobrino Martinez of Burgos Monumental in 4 hours, 31 minutes, 53 seconds after a sprint finish. He was followed by David Vitoria of Rock Racing and Jose Joaquin Rojas of Caisse d’Epargne.


© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29837784/

[katluvr]

That really sucks for him. I am not sure he can make a "comeback" next year! I have enjoyed watching him race...it has been a different Lance.

[papaver]

It's a bummer for his preparation for the tour and giro, but that doesn't mean he can't ride them this year. :)

[kermit]

I gotta say, he will be missed. Hopefully there's a way to surgically fix the break. If not, collarbones are a slow painful heal.

[ttaylor508]

Apparently it was a bad weekend for celebrities on bikes as Matt Lauer of the Today show hurt his shoulder in a bike accident as well.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/entertainment/20090323/People.Lauer/

[emily_in_nc]

On the nat'l news tonight, they reported that is indeed a broken collarbone; he's being flown back to the US for surgery. His trainer says he may be back on the road in a month. Wow! Definitely a bad break for him (pardon the pun) -- my DH broke his collarbone in a cycling accident 11 years ago, and it took him a lot longer than a month to recover (or at least that is what he told me as I took over the lawn-mowing duties all summer!) :D Of course, he didn't have surgery, which probably decreases recovery time.

I'll be really disappointed if he doesn't get to ride the Tour...was really looking forward to it. :(

[Zen]

Rumor has it it happened when Contador stuck a framepump in Lance's spokes ;)

[Running Mommy]

ahhhh zen.... love it!:p

[ny biker]

I read on velonews.com that racers tend to be back 4-6 weeks after breaking a collarbone.

I think it's amazing that this is the first time he's had this injury. He really did have some good luck during that 7-year streak.

[martinkap]

Lance's twitter pic:

http://twitpic.com/img/2e0z4-f553bcb87f985af3ebf03fd024044c28.49c86183-original.jpg

[LadyDian]

If Tyler Hamilton can do it so can Lance.

[tantrumbean]

Rumor has it it happened when Contador stuck a framepump in Lance's spokes ;)


:D:D

[Jo-n-NY]

On the nat'l news tonight, they reported that is indeed a broken collarbone; he's being flown back to the US for surgery. His trainer says he may be back on the road in a month. Wow! Definitely a bad break for him (pardon the pun) -- my DH broke his collarbone in a cycling accident 11 years ago, and it took him a lot longer than a month to recover (or at least that is what he told me as I took over the lawn-mowing duties all summer!) :D Of course, he didn't have surgery, which probably decreases recovery time.

I'll be really disappointed if he doesn't get to ride the Tour...was really looking forward to it. :(

When I fractured my shoulder, my orthopedic told me that if I had pins and rods put in the healing time is quicker. However, it can also cause arthritis besides having a foriegn object in me. Although I really wanted a quick recovery because at the time I was training for a organized ride (my dh first and which I told him to do without me :(), I chose not to go that route. For Lance, needless to say, he has a better reason for a fast recovery.

Emily, funny about your dh and cutting the lawn lol.

~ JoAnn

[OakLeaf]

I think the main issue is going to be whether he can tolerate the pain enough to keep his training on track, and I'm guessing that as a cancer survivor, he can.

Functionally, I've had vocational specialists testify many times that the collarbone isn't really important. Mainly, it's just really painful. Professional motorcycle racers ride with broken collarbones pretty often. I've seen a roadracer podium (I believe win his race, but I don't remember) with the surgical incision open and seeping blood. :eek:

Now, I know an endurance event is not the same thing as an hour-long motorcycle race - mainly because you can't keep the local anaesthetics coming. But the Tour itself is a long ways off. Professional athletes typically use bone growth stimulators and whatever else they've got these days. Professional athletes never, that I've seen, worry about what arthritis they might have when they get older!

The other thing is that (unlike motorcycle racing) upper-body strength is really secondary for a cyclist. Lance can keep his cardio capacity, leg strength and core strength without stressing the collarbone at all before it's ready. Bottom line, I think he'll be fine - at least I don't really see this injury setting him back very far. The main loss is just the competitive edge from being able to participate in the rest of Castilla & Leon, it seems to me.

I hadn't been following Lance very closely, though. Had he been planning on competing in another event before the Tour?

[papaver]

I hadn't been following Lance very closely, though. Had he been planning on competing in another event before the Tour?

Yes, the Giro...

[Tuckervill]

I saw video of him in a car with a sling on, and he looked so TICKED OFF. It was just all over his face.

Karen

[ny biker]

I think the main issue is going to be whether he can tolerate the pain enough to keep his training on track, and I'm guessing that as a cancer survivor, he can.

I think his ability to tolerate pain has been one of the reasons he's been so successful. He has actually said that he enjoys the suffering of long distance bike racing.

[Thorn]

Rumor has it it happened when Contador stuck a framepump in Lance's spokes ;)

:D

I dreaded to read this thread (yes, Lance has done a lot for bicycle racing, but, really, world, there are a lot more cyclists in the peloton--give 'em some press)....but, Zen, your post made my day! Thanks!

[ny biker]

Apparently he also hit his head and broke his helmet. Ouch.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032400980.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Anyway, they're saying that he might still race the Giro.

[Possegal]

He just said about 2 hrs ago that it is apparently not such a clean break after all. Not sure how much that will change the thought process about how quickly they hope he can heal. He's having surgery tomorrow. Ok- just saw where he also says he doesn't think the fact that it is in "multiple pieces" complicates things anymore than originally thought.

I was giving some thought to a trip to Italy to watch a bit of the Giro. I'm still thinking about it, but it would have been neat to see him ride, since I saw him ride in the Tour in '04.

[VeloVT]

ah, Twitter :D

a good source of facts, not prone to spur-of-the-moment emotion or exaggeration.

[smilingcat]

I wish him well and speedy recovery.

[Possegal]

Twtter plus Astana's homepage. I figure they are a better source at this point. Both have seemed much more level-headed than the sports news.

[gingerale]

http://www.livestrong.com/lance-armstrong/video/5342-exclusive-postop-interview-lance/5342/

Update on his surgery. Let me just say....OUCH!