Saxo-Tinkoff’s Dutchman to miss the Classics with deep thigh wound

Karsten Kroon (Saxo-Tinkoff) will be forced to sit out the 2013 Spring Classics season after sustaining a deep thigh wound in a crash in today’s third stage of the Tour of Qatar. A number of riders came down in the incident, around 14km into the 143km stage between Al Wakra and Mesaieed, including second place overall Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) and Kroon’s Saxo-Tinkoff teammates Matti Breschel and Jonas Aean Jørgensen; Kroon was the only rider not to be able to continue, however.



The 33-year-old Dutchman received a deep, 6cm long cut to his right thigh, caused by another rider’s chainring. He underwent surgery today to stitch up the wound but, such is its severity, that he will not be able to train for six weeks, and will likely be out of competition for around three months.



“Someone in the front of the peloton went down and from then on, things went fast,” explained a disappointed Kroon. “A bunch of riders crashed in front of me and I couldn't get around the pile-up. Somehow I must have landed right down on a chain ring and it cut up my thigh.



“I'm extremely disappointed,” he continued. “I had a good feeling and I was looking forward to the spring classics, which are my favourite races of the year and now I'm going to miss the entire spring. Hopefully, I can get back in form for the summer races.”