After an excellent start to his career at Trek, Riccardo Zoidl saw his progress come to a temporary halt when he broke his collarbone in today's Strade Bianche. The Austrian will now return to his home country where he will be examined further, with surgery the likely outcome.

Riccardo Zoidl has broken his right collarbone in a high-speed downhill crash on Tuscany’s infamous ‘white roads’. The 25-year-old Austrian, who rode a stellar Tour Méditerranéen only three weeks ago, went out in a right-hand turn in the seventh sector of the Strade Bianche race.

“We were in a good position with the team, as we knew that would be a key moment in the race. It was a fast downhill and there was wind coming from the left. I was full in the wind and I didn’t maneuver well enough, heading into the turn at the bottom. To top that, I bumped my front wheel in a hole and that was it. I didn’t feel pain straight away, but I knew my collarbone was broken when I touched it with my fingers,” said a disappointed Zoidl.

Zoidl will travel back to Austria for the necessary medical checks and scans. An operation is highly possible, and at this time it is unclear when he will be able to return to competition.