Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar) is unlikely to make the start of Paris-Nice after follow-up medical scans on February 10 confirmed a second fracture in his left arm, the team said.
While a wrist fracture was originally feared after the 22-year-old's crash at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana on February 6, the second break was only identified four days after the initial incident.
The dual diagnosis means Uijtdebroeks will likely reassess his Paris-Nice plans. The race, scheduled for March 8-15, was his first major general classification test since joining Movistar from Visma-Lease a Bike.
The crash occurred approximately 37 kilometres from the finish of Stage 3, when Balint Fledhoffer (Bahrain-Victorious) fell ahead of the Movistar train. Uijtdebroeks, positioned closely behind, was unable to avoid the pile-up and crashed.
Several other riders were caught up in the incident, including Movistar's Pablo Castrillo and Ivan Romeo, alongside Florian Vermeersch and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Giovanni Aleotti (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
After the crash, Uijtdebroeks remounted and finished the stage in 113th place, more than ten minutes behind stage winner Andrew August. He was transferred to hospital by ambulance immediately afterwards.
"When Cian got back on his bike after the accident, he could barely hold the handlebars because of the pain in his left wrist and left elbow," Movistar manager Jürgen Roelandts said to DH Les Sports, adding that the team suspected a fracture from the moment Uijtdebroeks was unable to exert pressure on the front end of the bike. DH Les Sports further reported that he would likely be all but ruled out of the Paris-Nice race.
Movistar said the revised recovery timeline now targets the Tour of the Basque Country in early April as his next racing objective, with the Ardennes Classics and Tour de France also remaining on his calendar pending the speed of healing.
Paris-Nice was scheduled in Uijtdebroeks' early-season programme ahead of a planned GC leadership role at the Tour de France in July, his primary goal with the Spanish team for 2026.
Cover image credit: Chris Auld/SWpix.com
