It could have been a dream for Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) to line up at a revived ladies’s Milan-San Remo, an occasion near her European residence, nevertheless it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the race additionally delivered a much less welcome profession first – damaged bones.
The Australian, who hit the deck at solely 25km into the 156km race, needed to step away from Milan-San Remo, clutching her shoulder within the tell-tale signal of an all too common biking damage.
“I suppose I’m formally an actual bicycle owner now after struggling my first ever collarbone fracture and first correct damaged bone of my biking profession,” stated Cromwell shortly after on social media. “I don’t depend my thumb final yr.”
At the time, the staff and Cromwell stated it was relaxation moderately than surgical procedure that was the anticipated final result after the accident. However, issues modified when a little bit extra info was revealed.
“In the tip, we determined to do surgical procedure on my collarbone to stabilise as seems I broke my scapular too,” stated Cromwell in an Instagram story from the hospital.
While the crash ended Cromwell’s Classics block early, the versatile rider in her seventeenth season is now looking forward to her plans on the gravel. She outlined when she spoke to Cyclingnews in January, on the sidelines of RADL GRVL, that a number of the occasions she had pencilled into her, then, but to settled calendar occasions within the US from Belgian Waffle trip sequence to “in all probability” Unbound plus some UCI Gravel World Series races.
Among these Gravel World Series occasions the rider was looking forward to are Tasmania’s The Devil’s Cardigan, which the final two years was the house of the Australian championships however this yr steps into the worldwide sequence.
It will function the third Australian spherical alongside Gravelista in Seymour and SEVEN in Nannup, with the West Australian race serving because the UCI Gravel World Championships venue for 2026.
The Devil’s Cardigan, with its distinctive prize of a sack of potatoes and a hand-crafted wooly cardigan, this yr has shifted to May 10, whereas the SEVEN Gravel World Series race throughout in Western Australia is every week later.
“I may be a bit damaged proper now, however not less than I’ve The Devils Cardigan to maintain me motivated and sit up for race as a part of my 2025 gravel calendar this yr,” stated Cromwell in an Instagram put up on Wednesday, including that “[Crossed fingers] I’ll be absolutely recovered by then.”
