| Hit the road Jack? Bobridge keen to ride but won't risk Olympic chances |
| Written by Reece Homfray - The Advertiser 13 January, 2012 |
![]() GreenEDGE's Jack Bobridge looking the worse for wear after his horrific fall in the Nationals. He has grazed knuckles, stomach and forearms and a suspected fractured wrist. Picture: Sarah Reed. Injury has forced South Australia's world champion cyclist Jack Bobridge out of the Santos Tour Down Under. The world track champion hurt his left arm and wrist after crashing in his time trial ride at the Australian road championships on Tuesday. Scans have not shown any breaks, but GreenEDGE team management have decided not to risk further damage in the Adelaide race. Bobridge is a popular rider and his absence will be a blow to his the event and event. GreenEDGE are yet to decide who will take his place in their seven-man team for the TDU which starts on Sunday. Yesterday Bobridge had been hopeful of competing in the event bur also realised the risk of doing further injury. "It's a massive year. It would be silly to push through and do more damage," Bobridge said of riding in the TDU. "This week is important to me being a home (Adelaide) boy but I've got to be smart as well." With track nationals, a London World Cup, home world titles and Olympic Games in the next six months, Bobridge, 22, may take a cautious approach with his wrist injury. He is a key cog in Australia's attempt to win Olympic gold in teams pursuit in a challenge from Great Britain, New Zealand and Russia. The road to London starts with the national track titles in Adelaide from January 26-29. Bobridge was riding at 55km/h when a wind gust from a passing B-double truck ripped his bike from under him in Monday's national time-trial championship at Learmonth in Victoria. "It happened before I knew it and I went straight down," he said. "It was a pretty heavy fall but more of a shock - the first kilometre and I was on the ground. "I took most of the impact on my hand and it's pretty sore but not as bad as I thought it was going to be." Initial X-rays cleared him of any breaks but he will have further scans today on his swollen wrist amid fears of a hairline fracture. A decision on if the dual world champion and individual pursuit world-record holder rides his home Tour next week will not be made until tomorrow. You can read the full article as it appeared in "The Advertiser" by clicking here |