Two-sport star Robbi Weldon was seriously injured when she and her tandem cycling partner Emilie Roy were struck by a truck while training in Quebec.
Weldon, who won gold at last summer’s Paralympic Games in London, told Dougall Media on Thursday she suffered a broken collarbone and shoulder blade and also has a concussion.
She remains in hospital.
“My pilot and I were on the tandem, training on the race course here in Matane, Que. for World Cup finals. We were supposed to be racing tomorrow and Sunday,” the Thunder Bay athlete said, reached by phone.
“We were heading down a hill, doing 55 kilometres an hour and a fellow, a 74-year-old man in a car, was coming up the hill and made a left-hand turn into his driveway right in front of us. Our tandem hit the back of his car and we flipped over the car.”
Weldon, who is legally blind, landed on the ground with the bike still attached to her.
“Both Emilie and I sustained similar injuries, with concussions, broken collar bones, broken shoulder blades and Emilie broke her humorous. I broke small fragments of bone off my vertebrae,” Weldon said, not sure how long she’ll be hospitalized.
“They’re just monitoring me and have been told with the concussion not to fly for a little while.”
According to Canoe.com, quoting the Surete due Quebec, the driver did not appear under the influence of alcohol.
Race Steward Alain Roy is quoted in the same article saying, “This is probably a driver who should not be driving,” though it doesn’t appear charges have been laid at this point in time.
Weldon said she and her pilot will miss the rest of the racing season recovering from their injuries.
