Lance you plonker

Lance Armstrong’s comeback suffered a setback on Monday when he crashed and broke his collarbone during the first stage of the Tour of Castilla y Leon in central Spain.



The injury typically takes between a month and six weeks to heal fully and although Armstrong should recover in time to compete in the Giro d’Italia on May 9, he will not now be in the prime racing form that he had planned. The route of the Giro suits him perfectly this year and many commentators feel that he has been targeting it above the Tour de France, but his plans may have to be revised depending on how quickly the collarbone heals.

He would certainly seem to be struggling to make the Giro del Trentino, a four-day stage race starting on April 22 which he had identified as his last warm-up race for the centenary Giro D’Italia two weeks later.

Armstrong, 37, was injured riding only his second race in Europe since coming out of retirement. He was in the main group with aproximately 20 kilometres to go to the finish in Baltanas as the peloton gathered pace down narrow roads chasing a four-man break when he came down in a mass pile-up. A strong, gusting wind was blowing and making conditions extremely difficult.