Larrinaga hit by car - escapes injury

Current Orbea rider and former Naturgas Energía stalwart Jon Larrinaga was hit by a car while out training on Friday, but did not sustain any serious injuries.

So reports the Fundación Euskadi's web page this morning. The 22-year-old was about to embark on a training ride in his home town of Amurrio, Álava, when a parked car, allegedly not seeing the rider, suddenly backed into him. Larrinaga took a hard hit to the elbow, but escaped relatively unscathed.

The accident comes hot on the heels of the deaths of Víctor Cabedo, Iñaki Lejarreta and Burry Stander, and the foundation duly took the opportunity to ask drivers to respect cyclists to avoid similar fates to those mentioned above.

Larrinaga is about to commence his first season in the professional ranks with the foundation's Continental team (formerly Orbea; the team's new name is yet to be decided upon) after numerous solid, yet winless, seasons with the foundation's sub-23 outfit.

This sub-23 outfit, which will remain Naturgas Energía in 2013, will start their season in France on February the ninth, and will today, Saturday, gather for a 120km-team training ride in the area around the Basque Country's capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Photo: Pascal Baudron