Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 2007

This is how Henk Vogels' day ended Saturday: with a trip to the hospital.
When Henk Vogels crashed out of Saturday’s Cougar Mountain Classic Criterium, some of his Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team teammates did not even know it.

Vogels was attempting to solo bridge to a 10-man breakaway that included teammate Ivan Dominguez when he struck a crowd control fence post in a tight corner on the Infineon Raceway.

“My shoulder hit it and I heard it snap,” Vogels said.

The violent impact didn’t knock the 6-foot, 175-pounder off his bicycle and he was able to make his way to the finish line where medical personnel rushed him to an ambulance.

When Dominguez’s breakaway lapped the field, the Cuban sprinter started searching for his leadout man.

“It never crossed my mind that he was no longer in the race,” Dominguez said.

Ryan Miller said he didn’t know what happened, but it didn’t look good.

“You deflate when you’re rolling through the finish and see your teammate lying on the ground,” Miller said.

A few hours later, Vogels received confirmation of what he already suspected: his collarbone was broken. The injury is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks.

“Hopefully, it’s more on the six weeks side,” Vogels said Sunday. “Fortunately, it was a clean break so I didn’t have to have an operation.”

Vogels’ injury is a “huge blow” to the team, said Toyota-United Team Director Kirk Willett.

“He will be sorely missed, as he is one of the best in the world at what he does,” Willett said. “The fact that he has played a pivotal role all year in delivering Stevic and Dominguez to so many top placings makes our pursuit of the Team NRC (National Race Calendar) title an even greater challenge. We are going to have to fill a big horsepower and leadership hole as a team.”

Indeed, the 13-year pro has played a key role in several victories – none bigger than Dominguez’s win on Stage 7 in Long Beach in the Amgen Tour of California

“I'm optimistic that with any luck, a speedy recovery will see Henk able to start training within a month and racing in late August or early September,” Willett said.

That timetable puts Vogels back in action in time for the final NRC races, as well as the inaugural Tour of Missouri, Sept. 11-16.

Labels: Henk Vogels