Broken collarbone prevents Oscar Only from starting in 2024

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Broken collarbone prevents Oscar Only from starting in 2024

Just eight days after the euphoria of his first professional and first World Tour-level win at the Tour Down Under, Oscar Only was hospitalized with a broken collarbone from a crash in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Onley was crowned champion of Willinga Hill on stage 6 of the Tour Down Under, ahead of Stephen Williams (Israel Premier Tech), when he broke his collarbone about 70 km into the 176 km one-day race in Geelong, ending his race.

"After further medical checks at a local hospital, Oscar Only unfortunately broke his collarbone in a crash at the Cadel Evans Road Race.

"Oscar will now take the necessary time to recover before considering a return to training and racing. Heal up, Oscar!"

He suffered a similar injury in his debut race at the Vuelta a EspaƱa, forcing him to abandon the race after just one stage.

In fact, the Scotsman confirmed on Instagram that this was the third time he had broken his collarbone, highlighting the old reality of professional cycling that one can go from glory to misery very quickly.

"Life is a game of snakes and ladders.

"My third broken collarbone ended my month in Australia.

Onley will add to his successful opening month into 2024 with his first World Tour win and fourth overall on the Tour Down Under. The top finisher for Team dsm-Firmenich at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, behind winner Lawrence Petit (Groupama-FDJ), was Chris Hamilton, who finished seventh.

Spanish rider Alex Aramburu also suffered a broken collarbone. He suffered an accident at the Trofeo Pollensa-Porto Andratx in the Challenge Mallorca in Spain, where he was off the pace with 33 km to go before the finish.

His team was leading the chase behind Igor Arrieta (UAE Team Emirates), but when the Spanish team temporarily halted their efforts and things slowed down in the great peloton, Aramburu fell to the floor, holding his right shoulder and writhing in pain.

Movistar confirmed his injury after the finish, but provided a positive update after the race.

"After a fall in the fourth trophy of the Challenge Mallorca, a CT scan at a hospital in Mallorca resulted in Aramburu suffering a non-displaced fracture of the central third of his right collarbone," Movistar said on social media.

The loss of the versatile all-rounder provided Movistar with bittersweet relief as new member Pelayo Sanchez won the Andratx for the first time.

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