World Championships: Claudia Häusler out after Toscana crash

by Ben Atkins at 6:13 AM EST

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Categories: Pro Cycling, World Championships

German climber's head injury makes it too dangerous to make the trip

Claudia Häusler (Cervélo TestTeam) will no longer be representing Germany at next month’s World Championships, after doctors at the German Cycling Federation (BDR) ruled that she was unfit to travel. The 24-year-old crashed out of the second stage of the Giro della Toscana on Wednesday, she was taken to a local hospital, where she was kept in for a few days.

On Thursday Cervélo’s team doctor Andreas Goesele was optimistic about her recovery. “Claudia has a head injury but is doing fine now,” he said. “She will have a final examination tomorrow, a CT scan of her head, and then we will try to transport her to Germany.”

On her return home though, the BDR has ruled that it would be dangerous to allow Häusler to make the trip. She has also been ordered to stay off her bike for a precautionary two weeks; with no major races after the World Championships, this effectively spells the end of the German’s season.

“We must exercise reason,” said German women’s coach Thomas Liese, “even though Claudia is irreplaceable.

We do not have an adequate replacement [for a rider of her quality],” he added, “we will decide over the weekend if we will nominate a replacement rider. It’s a pity for the team, but also for Claudia. She was super-motivated and at her peak of fitness; but she is still young and will certainly be at the World Championships again.”

The team listed Denise Zuckermandel (Team Stuttgart) and Romy Kasper (Noris Cycling) as reserves and so either of these may be chosen to replace Häusler.

Last year the German women’s team rode with one rider short after the BDR neglected to correctly register Häusler’s Cervélo teammate Sarah Düster.

Current German women’s team for World Championships:
Judith Arndt, Luise Keller and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (both HTC-Columbia), Charlotte Becker, Sarah Düster (Cervélo TestTeam) and Trixi Worrack (Noris Cycling).

Arndt and Becker will also ride the time trial.

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