Canada’s entire elite women’s road team affected by crash at world championship race
All four members of Canada’s elite women’s road team—Lex Albrecht, Leah Kirchmann, Karol-Ann Canuel and Joëlle Numainville—were affected by a crash that happened during the second lap of Saturday’s UCI road world championship race in Ponferrada, Spain. The crash is said to have taken 57 riders of the total 134 out of the race.
Albrecht, who was a last-minute addition to the team following a legal battle, was able to get back on her bike after the crash. She tried to bridge back to the peloton. Suffering with an injured elbow and faced with a five-minute time deficit, Albrecht abandoned the race.
A bit battered but not broken. Thanks for the kind words. #Ponferrada2014 pic.twitter.com/IhK6SnY0m7
— Lex Albrecht (@Lex_Albrecht) September 27, 2014
The injuries were more serious for Canuel and Kirchmann. Canuel, who finished sixth on Tuesday in the individual time trial event, fractured her hip. Currently, she is in hospital for observation and waiting to get cleared for travel. Leah Kirchmann broke her collarbone. She has been released and will return home. She will receive follow-up treatment in Canada.
Disaster of a day for Canada at Worlds, whole team crashed, broken collarbone for me, broken pelvis for @KarolAnnCanuel #Ponferrada2014
— Leah Kirchmann (@L_Kirch) September 27, 2014
Joëlle Numainville only recently returned to competition. She suffered a concussion after a crash in May 2013; its symptoms plagued her long afterward. In Saturday’s crash, he suffered a slight blow to the head. After undergoing tests in hospital, she was cleared with no concussion symptoms. Numainville will be returning home.