Sunday, April 19, 2009

Hardman of the Week Award

Daryl Impey (Barloworld)may not have finished with the bunch today at the Tour Of Turkey, but he did still win the overall as well as the green sprinters jersey regardless. During the finale'Impey can be seen being thrown to the ground by Theo Bos (Rabobank) just a few hundred meters from the line in this video, .Watch at the :28 mark as Bos grabs a handful of jersey and slings Impey like an empty bidon towards the fencing.

VeloNews reports: Impey eventually remounted to ride across the finish line, then was taken to a hospital in Alanya where doctors reported a fracture of the third disk of his lumbar vertebra, a micro-fracture of his neck, a facial trauma, a few broken teeth and a deep cut in his lips. He was to remain hospitalized for 24 hours, organizers reported.

With his overall title on the line, and the knowledge of the 3km rule in effect, Impey recieved medical attention including the application of a neck brace and after nearly 20 minutes remounted and finished the race. I have to admit that I will keep that picture in the back of my mind the next time I contemplate bailing because of injury or fatigue.