Danish rider needs to take antibiotics for infected wounds
Five days after crashing out of the Vuelta a España, Matti Breschel is still experiencing considerable discomfort and doesn’t have much hope of being at his best for the world championship. In fact, the former silver and bronze medallist is even contemplating giving up his slot on the team to another, although that decision most likely won’t be taken for at least a few more days.
The Rabobank competitor crashed during the neutralised section of last Thursday’s sixth stage to Córdoba, falling as the peloton was heading away from the start in Ubeda.
He suffered a wound on his chin which required stitching, as well as road rash on his knees, elbows and hips. He also broke two fingers on his left hand. Since then, Breschel has been treated and is spending a lot of time in bed, trying to recover. He missed much of the early part of the year due to injury and while his form was on the up in recent weeks, the latest setback means his preparation is far from ideal.
“Right now I can not under any circumstances sit on a bike,” he told Feltet.dk. “My left knee and hip are particularly sore. The leg is totally cut from the hip down to ankle. There is probably an infection in the wounds, so I will now have an antibiotic treatment to bring it down.”
This year’s world championships will take place in Copenhagen. After netting bronze in Varese in 2008 and then silver last year in Geelong, the Rabobank rider was determined to finally top the podium, snagging a rainbow jersey in front of his home fans.
Unfortunately he’s now considering the fact that it will be very difficult to finish in the top three. “It certainly looks very bleak in relation to going for medals,” he conceded. “It is the biggest world championships ever for a Dane, because it is at home, and I would never want to miss that chance. But I have since tried to prepare myself for the worst, and I’ve also thought about if we should really give a chance to another [rider] if they are better prepared and riding strongly. I’ll have that discussion with the coach Lars Bonde.”
If everything goes to plan, he’ll line out in the Tour of Britain on September 11th, using that race to given himself a good pre-worlds workout. He’s currently listed as a reserve for his team and if he rides, he will join defending world champion Thor Hushovd in riding the race to hone his form. The Briton Mark Cavendish, who is another potential winner in Copenhagen, is also heading to the event after dropping out of the Vuelta.
Before then, though, Breschel must meet with doctors on Thursday, when the decision will be made as to whether he needs surgery on his injured fingers. If so, that will further cut his chances of making it to this year’s worlds.