Major setback for Rockets in Kuurne: key sprint lead-out rider sidelined for a long period

Last year, the Rockets made plenty of headlines during Opening Weekend thanks to Lukáš Kubiš. The Slovak finished sixth at Omloop and ninth in Kuurne, but this time it was not to be. He crashed twice on Saturday, and in both races Matyáš Kopecký ended up as the team’s best finisher — 12th and 16th respectively. Solid results, but not what the team had set its sights on.

Rory Townsend did not ride Omloop, but would normally be an important cog for the Rockets in Kuurne. However, the Irishman — only in his third race in Rockets colours — crashed heavily after around an hour and a half of racing. The impact was so hard that he could not continue, and he was left with a serious injury. “Over the bars, straight into recovery mode,” Townsend summed it up himself.

On his team's Instagram page, Townsend explained what happened and what it means going forward. “Yesterday my Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne lasted about 60 kilometres. I went over the bars and landed straight on my knee. Unfortunately, scans showed a broken shinbone.” Photos show the powerful rider now walking around with a substantial brace on his leg.

“It’s not the update I hoped to share, and it means I’ll be out for a while,” Townsend continued. “It’s pretty frustrating, but the focus now is on recovery and coming back stronger. Thanks to everyone who helped me — and a special thank you to my personal nurse Marcel Kittel, who even took my trousers off after the crash. I’ll be back.”