Bradley Wiggins: Tour de France winner breaks ribs in road crash

[busybeeburns]

 

Bradley Wiggins: Tour de France winner breaks ribs in road crash

 

Britain's Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins has suffered broken ribs after being knocked off his bike.

 

Olympic champion Wiggins also injured a wrist in the collision with a vehicle close to a petrol station near his home in Lancashire on Wednesday evening.

 

The 32-year-old Team Sky rider was kept in hospital overnight for observation. A Lancashire police spokeswoman confirmed to BBC Sport: "Bradley has suffered broken ribs but the driver of the vehicle is not injured."

 

The police were unable to confirm how many ribs Wiggins had broken but added that they would be speaking to the driver of the white Vauxhall Astra car on Thursday.

 

Team Sky said on their website: "The injuries he has sustained are not thought to be serious and he's expected to make a full and speedy recovery."

 

It is unclear how the injuries will affect Wiggins's training for the 2013 season. The incident took place in the village of Wrightington, near Wigan, at around 18:00 GMT. Garage attendant Yasmin Smith, who saw Wiggins shortly afterwards, told BBC Sport: "I was in the office and I heard a screeching of tyres and a bang.

 

"I ran outside and there was a gentleman on the pavement - I didn't realise who it was at first.

 

"He was in a lot of pain - he actually thought he had broken his ribs. His hands looked bruised and they were curled up a bit. And then his colour changed. He got put in a local person's car and when the ambulance came they attended to him immediately. His wife [tried to] hug him and he said: 'Don't, my ribs'. He was assisted [in] walking to the ambulance. He could stand up. I think his ribs and hands were the main concern."

 

The village of Wrightington is around three miles from Wiggins's family home in Eccleston and he regularly goes on practice rides around the rural roads in the area.

 

Wiggins, a father of two, is among the favourites to be named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year after a stellar 2012 season that saw him become the first British winner of the Tour de France in July as he triumphed for Team Sky.

 

He followed that in August by winning his fourth Olympic gold medal with victory in the time trial at London 2012.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20246940

[Reilly]

A Lancashire police spokeswoman confirmed to BBC Sport: "Bradley has suffered broken ribs but the driver of the vehicle is not injured."

 

Phew!

[Tash]

GB cycling coach Shane Sutton injured in crash

 

British cycling head coach Shane Sutton has been diagnosed with bleeding on the brain after a bike crash in Manchester.

 

It happened the morning after Bradley Wiggins fractured a rib in a separate incident near Wigan in Lancashire.

 

British Cycling director Martin Gibbs told BBC Sport: "[shane's] had a severe knock but he should be fine."

 

Meanwhile, a British Cycling spokesman stated: "We call on the government to put cycling at the heart of transport policy to ensure cycle safety."

 

British Cycling wants cycle safety to be "built into the design of all new roads, junctions and transport projects, rather than being an afterthought".

 

Australian Sutton, 55, was involved in an incident while cycling along the A6 in Manchester suburb Levenshulme on Thursday morning.

 

On Wednesday evening, Tour de France winner and four-time Olympic champion Wiggins, was knocked off his bike near a petrol station.

 

Gibbs continued: "These incidents do remind you that we've got a long way to go we need to look to our cousins abroad and [Denmark capital] Copenhagen and see what they've done.

 

"Around 30% of people making journeys there do so on their bike. We need the department of transport to stop thinking of cycling as an add-on.

 

"Nine out of 10 British cycling members have a car. It has to be about more mutual respect looking out for each other. We mustn't make this a sort of tribal battle."

 

The British Cycling spokesman added: "It is extremely rare that our riders and coaches are hurt while out cycling on the road, even rarer that two incidents should occur in a short space of time, and we wish Shane and Bradley a speedy recovery.

 

"Shane was taken into hospital where it was identified he has suffered bruising and bleeding on the brain

 

"Shane was wearing a helmet. He is set to undergo more tests, and is likely to stay in hospital for the next few days.

 

"Cycling is not an intrinsically dangerous activity but there is much more to be done to improve conditions for cyclists on the roads."

 

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[tifosi]

I know the BP garage. Just before the motorway flyover. Bloody dangerous on a quiet sunday nevermind the afternoon on a weekday.

 

Nearly got wiped out by a 4x4 there a few months ago.

[Spider-Man]

Same thing happened to Levi. Hope you get better soon Wiggins!

[Black Rose]

I feel sorry for the van driver, any-other cyclist and they might have gotten away with a light slap on the hand by the cops, but as it's someone famous the coppers will probably throw the entire book at her.