August 31, 2011 (Amos, QC) – Keven Lacombe (Team SpiderTech powered by C10), who suffered a serious injury to his jaw at this year’s Canadian Criterium Championships on June 26 in Georgetown – read more HERE – is out for the season.
But the 26-year-old is seriously questioning his future in the sport reports The Echo Abitibien despite being named by the CCA as part of their final pool of 12 elite male road cyclists for the upcoming Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark from September 19-25 (see list below). A final three-man team will be chosen from this select pool.
Lacombe will definitely not take part in the WordTour races in Quebec City or Montreal on September 9 and 11 reports The Abitibi Express. This is disappointing for Lacombe who had the best performance there of any Quebec cyclist in 2010, finishing 24th overall and that despite fighting mononucleosis at the time. Lacombe says that before his June 26 crash he was in better form this year.
The top sprinter is riding his bike again and thanks his doctors that he is able to eat again (doctors had wired his jaws wired shut) and claims not to suffer any pain, but still has a swollen face. He hopes to finish his degree in accounting this year at Montreal’s HEC business school. He and his girlfriend are discussing the best path forward and what his future might look like.
Lacombe has been absent from racing since the accident but believes that SpiderTech would welcome him back. While admitting the he is not in shape, he believes that he could get back in form quickly. He is giving himself a few weeks to make a decision on his career meaning late September or early October.
CCA pool of MEN ELITE for Copenhagen:
– BARRY, Michael (Toronto, ON) [Pro Team Sky]
– BELL, Zachary (North Vancouver, BC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– BRITTON, Rob (Victoria, BC) [Bissell Pro Cycling]
– GILBERT, Martin (Chateauguay, QC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– HESJEDAL, Ryder (Victoria, BC) [Team Garmin-Cervélo]
– LACOMBE, Keven (Amos, QC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– LANGLOIS, Bruno (Québec, QC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– MEIER, Christian (Sussex, NB) [UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team]
– ROLLLIN, Dominique (Boucherville, QC) [Française-Des-Jeux]
– ROUTLEY, Will (Whistler, BC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– TUFT, Svein (Langley, BC) [Team SpiderTech powered by C10]
– VEILLEUX, David (Cap Rouge, QC) [Team Europcar]
Read more about Lacombe in the Abitibi Express (in French) HERE and on L’Echo l’Abitibien HERE.