Carlos Quintero’s heavy fall in Milan-Sanremo has been confirmed as having no lasting repercussions, with the Colombian rider’s condition verified after medical tests in the Pietra Ligure hospital.
He was released by medical at 4.30 yesterday afternoon, with scans showing that the only issues facing him are a compound fracture to his left collarbone, plus various bruises and abrasions. He also has a cut to his cheekbone.
The Colombia Coldeportes rider crashed heavily during Saturday’s Classic, hitting a wall, and footage from the scene initially looked serious. He lay on the road for some time, being treated by medical staff there, but fortunately the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
Last year Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt was killed during a crash in the Giro d’Italia, while Quintero’s fellow Colombian Juan Mauricio Soler suffered bad head injuries when he fell during the Tour de Suisse.
“It was a big scare,” said the team’s general manager Claudio Corti. “Fortunately Carlos is fine and will recover soon. This guy has great spirit, he will definitely bounce back from this bad adventure.
“I am very grateful to Pietra Ligure’s hospital doctors and to RCS race first-aid service, as they all helped Carlos with amazing promptness and professionalism. We are merely talking about a big scare – and we owe it to them and to our team doctor Massimiliano Mantovani.“
Quintero is expected to miss 15 days of activity, but should be eligible to race in the team’s late April schedule. Races listed for that period include Fleche Wallonne, Giro del Trentino and Tour of Turkey.
The most important thing is that he will have no lasting effects from the accident. “I watched the video of my crash on YouTube, and it scared me as well,” the 26 year old said, speaking of his relief. “I only remember losing my track on descent and jumping on a flower bed, nothing else. Thank God, I was lucky after all…”
The Colombia Coldeportes squad is in its first year of existence. Composed entirely with riders from that country, it is aiming to chase slots in cycling’s major races, including the Grand Tours.