<figure ><img title="Cycling: 106th Milan - Sanremo 2015" src="http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2015/03/SadFabz-320x213.jpg"/><p>Less than one week after a disappointing run at Milano-Sanremo, Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) crashed out of E3 Harelbeke, putting his classics campaign in doubt. Photo: Tim De Waele | <a href="http://www.tdwsport.com" target="_blank">TDWsport.com</a> (File).</p></figure><p>HARELBEKE, Belgium (VN) — Fabian Cancellara’s 2015 cobbled classics campaign may have ended before it began in earnest after a crash 39.4 kilometers into E3 Harelbeke on Friday in Belgium. He may have fractured his left wrist.</p>
<p>The Swiss classics champion — a three-time winner of both the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and Paris-Roubaix — crashed on the cobbled Haaghoek sector with around 40 to 50 other riders. He continued for 10km more, but the pain was too much and he abandoned.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately Fabian Cancellara has abandoned the race after his crash. We will keep you informed on his situation as soon as possible,” Trek Factory Racing said on its Twitter account of Cancellara, who won the 2009, 2010, and 2013 editions of the race.</p>
<p>A photo from the race showed Cancellara <a href="https://instagram.com/p/0uycBnHF0e/"target="_blank">favoring his left wrist</a> after the crash.</p>
<p>“It seems that a water bottle fell on the cobbles and caused it,” Trek sport director Dirk Demol told Sporza TV.</p>
<p>“He hit his wrist and the lower part of his back. He couldn’t stay on the pedals anymore. He wasn’t looking good at all.”</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Swiss rider reportedly said his classics season is over. He is aiming to repeat in the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 5 and Paris-Roubaix on April 12.</p>
<p>“No, he’s a fighter,” Demol added. “We have to wait for the medical diagnosis, but for sure, he won’t race Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday. We are worried about him, but we have to wait and hopefully it’ll be OK.”</p>
<p>Cancellara went immediately to the hospital in Waregem, where doctors will X-ray him for fractures.</p>
<p>Milano-Sanremo winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and Lars Boom (Astana) were also involved in the crash. They continued. Abandoning with Cancellara were Niccolò Bonifazio (Lampre-Merida), Robert Wagner (LottoNL-Jumbo), Sebastian Langeveld (Cannondale-Garmin), Vegard Breen, Gert Dockx (both Lotto-Soudal), Andrey Amador and Imanol Erviti (both Movistar).</p>
<p>Demol said Cancellara would skip Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, but his entire cobbled classics campaign could be a wash if his wrist is fractured.</p>
<p>In 2012, Cancellara had to abandon the Ronde when he crashed and fractured his collarbone. He skipped Paris-Roubaix a week later. In 2013, he collected his third Paris-Roubaix title and in 2014, he did the same in the Ronde.</p>
<p>Cancellara’s long-time rival Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick-Step) already had to pull the plug on his 2015 classics campaign. The Belgian crashed and dislocated his shoulder in stage 1 of Paris-Nice earlier in March.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/news/cancellaras-classics-campaign-in-doubt-after-e3-harelbeke-crash_364594">Cancellara’sclassics campaign in doubt after E3 Harelbeke crash</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com">VeloNews.com</a>.</p>
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<p>The Swiss classics champion — a three-time winner of both the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and Paris-Roubaix — crashed on the cobbled Haaghoek sector with around 40 to 50 other riders. He continued for 10km more, but the pain was too much and he abandoned.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately Fabian Cancellara has abandoned the race after his crash. We will keep you informed on his situation as soon as possible,” Trek Factory Racing said on its Twitter account of Cancellara, who won the 2009, 2010, and 2013 editions of the race.</p>
<p>A photo from the race showed Cancellara <a href="https://instagram.com/p/0uycBnHF0e/"target="_blank">favoring his left wrist</a> after the crash.</p>
<p>“It seems that a water bottle fell on the cobbles and caused it,” Trek sport director Dirk Demol told Sporza TV.</p>
<p>“He hit his wrist and the lower part of his back. He couldn’t stay on the pedals anymore. He wasn’t looking good at all.”</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Swiss rider reportedly said his classics season is over. He is aiming to repeat in the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 5 and Paris-Roubaix on April 12.</p>
<p>“No, he’s a fighter,” Demol added. “We have to wait for the medical diagnosis, but for sure, he won’t race Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday. We are worried about him, but we have to wait and hopefully it’ll be OK.”</p>
<p>Cancellara went immediately to the hospital in Waregem, where doctors will X-ray him for fractures.</p>
<p>Milano-Sanremo winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and Lars Boom (Astana) were also involved in the crash. They continued. Abandoning with Cancellara were Niccolò Bonifazio (Lampre-Merida), Robert Wagner (LottoNL-Jumbo), Sebastian Langeveld (Cannondale-Garmin), Vegard Breen, Gert Dockx (both Lotto-Soudal), Andrey Amador and Imanol Erviti (both Movistar).</p>
<p>Demol said Cancellara would skip Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, but his entire cobbled classics campaign could be a wash if his wrist is fractured.</p>
<p>In 2012, Cancellara had to abandon the Ronde when he crashed and fractured his collarbone. He skipped Paris-Roubaix a week later. In 2013, he collected his third Paris-Roubaix title and in 2014, he did the same in the Ronde.</p>
<p>Cancellara’s long-time rival Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick-Step) already had to pull the plug on his 2015 classics campaign. The Belgian crashed and dislocated his shoulder in stage 1 of Paris-Nice earlier in March.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/news/cancellaras-classics-campaign-in-doubt-after-e3-harelbeke-crash_364594">Cancellara’sclassics campaign in doubt after E3 Harelbeke crash</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://velonews.competitor.com">VeloNews.com</a>.</p>
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