Michael Matthews has been ruled out of the Strade Bianche after fracturing his shoulder in a crash at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend.
Team Sunweb officials initially thought Matthews had suffered external abrasions, but scans revealed a fracture in his left shoulder. He is unlikely to compete at Tirreno Adriatico next week.
Team Sunweb Physician Anko Boelens explained: “The diagnosis from the MRI scan is a non-displaced fracture of the greater tuberosity of the left upper arm. Because the fragment is not displaced, surgery in this case is not required. Michael will need to take some rest and afterwards undergo physiotherapy before restarting training on the rollers”.
“Much is dependent on improvement over the next days, but at the moment we can certainly say that Strade Bianche on Saturday is not possible. The healing process and Michael’s pain levels will determine when he can return to the bike. After the weekend we will re-evaluate for his upcoming races and see if Tirreno is realistic.”
