Bad start to Belgian veteran’s first classics season as part of a ProTeam
Quick Step rider Andy Cappelle was the victim of a crash in the early kilometres of the first stage of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen – Johan Museeuw Classics. He came down with Franck Bouyer (Europcar) and Steven Cozza (NetApp); the other two remounted (although they both abandoned later on) but Cappelle did not, as he had fractured his right collarbone.
The Belgian was taken immediately to the General Hospital in Tielt, but the team’s medical staff decided that it would be best to transfer him to the Herentals clinic, 100km away to the east.
The injury is bad news for the 31-year-old, who is in his first season with ProTeam Quick Step after 10 years with lesser Belgian teams. His season had started solidly with second place in the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon, and was originally due to start tomorrow’s Paris-Nice.
Cappelle will be operated on this evening by doctor Claes’ medical staff at the clinic, but he will be forced to rest for 20 days before he can resume training.