Defending Tour Down Under champion Andre Greipel will need up to 12 weeks recovery after dislocating his right shoulder during stage three of the Tour Down Under. The Columbia-Highroad rider was taken to Flinders medical centre in Unley after being involved in a multiple-rider crash when he struck a police motorbike early on in the race.

“It was really unlucky, the racing was fast and there was a strong crosswind when they came over the lip of a climb,” commented team sports director Allan Peiper.  “Andre wasn’t able to see the front end of the bunch because it had bent back round due to the crosswind, nobody yelled [to warn of upcoming danger, as normally happens in bike racing] because the racing was so fast and he was the first guy that went into the bike. [Race leader] Allan Davis and four other guys went down.”

Apart from dislocating his shoulder, Greipel needed stitches in his right arm, left leg and a deep cut in his right elbow. He will now fly back to Germany for an operation on his shoulder.

“He may need up to 12 weeks before he gets back on the bike,” Peiper added. “Riders are tough and like to get back on their bikes as soon as possible, but after a shoulder operation you need to remain immobile for long periods of time and that obviously makes it tougher to ride a bike again.”

Greipel, who is showing excellent early season form is disappointed in not being able to continue the race and now looks forward to a quick recovery.

“Normally it means I will be three months away from racing,” he said. “Hopefully I will heal quicker than that.”