World Cup XCO racer Jolanda Neff was injured in a crash on mountain bike ride in Pisgah, North Carolina this past week and suffered multiple injuries.
The Swiss cross-country athlete was on a training ride near Brevard when she crashed and ended up off the trail.
“I misjudged a downhill corner on a trail that was new to me during my training ride and I went off track and over the bars, falling onto a pile of logs,” said Neff. “I immediately knew something was wrong.”
She was diagnosed with a ruptured spleen, a fractured rib, and a collapsed lung. The emergency medical team that treated Neff is said to have used a technique called embolization to stop internal bleeding in the spleen, and also helped to avoid the removal of the organ.
“Trek has been super supportive and sent me a bouquet of beautiful flowers. I’m still in a lot of pain and breathing is hard, but my condition is stable now. I’m sleeping a lot. Further plans have not been made yet,” said Neff on Instagram.
She had planned on competing in the Cyclocross World Championships in Duebendorf, Switzerland on February 1. It’s unclear at this point whether she will still compete.
“She had planned on competing in the Cyclocross World Championships in Duebendorf, Switzerland on February 1. It’s unclear at this point whether she will still compete.”
Unless she has the healing ability of Wolverine, the smart money would be on “No, she is unlikely to compete…”
We try not to put words in other’s mouths. Neff recovered and competed rather quickly from her last major injury in 2018, so we’ll see what happens here.
Best wishes for her speedy recovery. It is a risk we all take for the enjoyment of the trails.
Quick recovery Neff. It sucks to be sick.