Team Sky’s Ben Swift is in intensive care with a ruptured spleen after crashing during a training ride with team mate Geraint Thomas in Tenerife.
The 31-year-old clipped a rock while descending, causing him to fall heavily on Wednesday.
Team Sky said in a statement yesterday he had “sustained multiple contusions following the crash and while scans have shown no evidence of any fractures, there is evidence of multiple areas of bruising on the scan.
“There has been an injury to the spleen that caused bleeding but this bleeding has now stopped.
“A procedure was performed on Wednesday to reduce the risks of this bleeding starting again. Swift will remain in close observation for the next few days.”
Swift (above), who came fifth in the UCI Road World Championships in 2017, tweeted: “I am still in intensive care at the moment. But hopefully move on to a normal ward tomorrow.
“They have stopped the bleed in the spleen. But just need to keep monitoring it. Along with that I have facial wounds and road rash.”
Team Sky Doctor Inigo Sarriegui added: “He suffered quite a heavy crash. Thankfully, though, he didn’t lose consciousness and was aware of the incident afterwards.
“We will continue to monitor him over the coming days but 24 hours on from the crash he is already feeling better.”
