Collision with auto ends New Zealand plans for Land Rover/ORBEA's Roman Van Uden

PHOTO: Roman Van Uden won OBRA's Rehearsal Road Race last May in Rainier.

Land Rover/ORBEA pro Roman Van Uden's racing season has been cut short by a traffic accident. While his American cohorts were recovering form a long domestic road season or gearing up for cyclcocross in the states, Van Uden returned to his home country of New Zealand and was preparing for the upcoming race season there, including the UCI Tour of the Southland.

But a collision with a car Friday, Sept. 25, sidelined the tall, powerful sprinter who won the Tour of the Gila criterium in front of Lance Armsstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner and a talented field of America's best domestic racers.

Van Uden told his story to New Zealand's online cycling magazine, roadcycling.co.nz:

"On Friday the 25th of September, while going for a little late afternoon cruise in Auckland (some would call this period 'Rush Hour') my ride came to an abrupt end when a driver turned across my lane to enter a driveway.

"This accident was unavoidable as I was hidden behind a queue of traffic and a gap was left by another motorist for the car to enter the driveway. Traveling quite quickly, I had very little time to react and could not miss the car.

"I was launched off my bike and landed on a curb, slightly winded. I only suffered very minor grazing to my right elbow and knee but what at the time felt like a sprained wrist later turned out to be my second broken scaphoid of the year."

Read the complete story HERE.