Peter Velits has had a successful time as a professional cyclist, just as his twin brother Martin Velits. But now he is injured. The HTC-Columbia rider fractured his left forearm and wrist in the second stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt last week. He was involved in a mass crash near the finish. The next day he dropped out.

“Peter was very motivated and wanted to keep on riding, but it didn't make any sense,” said sport director Jan Schaffrath when talking to the German website Radsport-news.com.

He will rest for a few days, but the team says he will most likely race the Dauphiné Libéré and he will be with the team at the team camp in June. Racing with a broken arm is much easier than racing with a damaged leg.

“An operation is not necessary,” team doctor Helge Riepenhof told Radsport-News.com. “Right now Peter is wearing a custom plastic cast and in five days will get a wrist cuff which will allow him to race. A start in the Tour de France would be possible.”