100th Milan San Remo - O'Grady Injury Update
Crash Effects in Milan - Sanremo Worse than expected for Team Saxo Bank's O'Grady

Bjarne Riis' team at the head of affairs in the 2008 Paris - Roubaix. The team placed both Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady in the top 5 at the finish, both winners of the "Hell of the North". With Any luck the team will have Fabian Cancellara back in form for the race, having missed the recent Milan - Sanremo due to a nagging shoulder injury from a crash in the tour of California... Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

Paris - Roubaix Winner Stuart O'Grady  Must skip the classics.
It proved to be worse than expected for Team Saxo Bank's Stuart O'Grady after yesterday's crash in Milano-Sanremo. The Australian rider was Saturday night in for further examinations at a clinic in Monaco, where it was found that the right collar bone is broken and that there is a further fracture on a rib and an edema between the lungs and the ribs.

"Stuart was sent home from the clinic with a report stating that he had been lucky with only a few bruises after his crash, but when they looked more carefully at the X-ray images, he was called back. The most serious is his edema between the lungs and ribs, which required surgery yesterday and he might have to go back to get more. Even though his fractures are minor, and that they get rid of the edema, it is not likely that he gets on the bike and will be able to train hard in the next few weeks. Seen in that perspective, the classics, unfortunately, are over for Stuart, "says Saxo Bank Team physician Piet De Moor.

"Stuart is a tough guy, and if everything goes well he can come back and go fast again in a month's time. He has certainly had his share of accidents in his career, but I think on the other hand, that he - if anyone - has the strength and morale to come back quickly, "adds De Moor.

"It is extremely sad to see the classics disappear for my part, because of a crash. The past several months of hard work had a purpose and focus: classics and especially Paris-Roubaix. Now I see it all crumble, but hopefully I get the opportunity to come back later, "said the O'Grady.

"Nobody can replace the experience and what Stuart would contribute to our classic lineup, and it is really unfortunate that he will be missing out on the races he is best at. He had timed his form perfectly for the cobblestone races, and in my point of view, he was destined to be one of our main riders who could have been there in the finals. I am personally sorry on his behalf and he certainly has not been lucky when it comes to crashes in his career. The whole team wishes him a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back in peak shape soon, "said team owner Bjarne Riis.

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