Letizia Paternoster suffered a concussion and a broken collarbone when she crashed in the Elimination Race at the European Championships in Munich on Saturday evening. The event was suspended for 45 minutes in the aftermath of the mass crash in which Paternoster was injured.
Paternoster remained conscious but she was treated on the track for close to half an hour after the crash. The Italian was then brought by ambulance to the Bogenhausen hospital to spend the night in observation.
“She was a bit confused, but she asked me straight away what races she had to ride tomorrow,” Italian national coach Marco Villa told Tuttobici (opens in new tab). “She had pain in her shoulder, and she definitely hit her head too. She asked the doctors for some air, and they administered oxygen.”
Italian federation doctor Antonio Angelucci said that Paternoster had “no memory” of the crash, and La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that she will undergo surgery on her collarbone on Sunday.
Paternoster posted an update on her recovery on social media on Sunday morning, writing: “I try to smile and think about the next goals! I broke my collarbone in 3 parts and hit my head, thanks everyone for the messages.”
Paternoster, the reigning world champion in the Elimination Race, had been among the favourites for Saturday evening’s event. The race was eventually won by Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) ahead of Pfeiffer Georgi (Great Britain), with Mylene De Zoete (Netherlands) taking bronze.
“You know that crash could have happened to you or to anyone. Everyone here also knows that track cycling is a dangerous sport,” Kopecky said. “I would have put Paternoster down as my biggest competitor, and I hope she doesn’t have too serious injuries.”
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