Alexey Lutsenko fractures collarbone and shoulder in altitude camp training crash

Astana Qazaqstan Team have so far this year had a complicated season and a crash this past weekend has dealt another blow to the Kazakh team. Whilst on an altitude training camp, team leader Alexey Lutsenko crashed and has suffered a broken collarbone and shoulder

The team posted a press release regarding the accident: "Astana Qazaqstan Team rider Alexey Lutsenko crashed this afternoon during his training in Teide, Tenerife, Spain. Due to a sudden gust of wind on the descent the rider crashed on his left shoulder. After the crash Alexey has been moved to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with a displaced fracture of the collarbone and the shoulder."

The only victory from the team this season came from Lutsenko himself, after he took a dominant solo win at the Clasica Jaén Paraíso Interior in February. Since then the team has struggled to get top results as Lutsenko hasn't races since the opening weekend and Miguel Ángel López failed to perform at Tirreno-Adriatico. Having gathered only 678 UCI points until the 22nd of March which put them in 21st place, topping only EF Education - EasyPost in terms of points.

Lutsenko had been preparing for the Ardennes classics where he would be an outsider for the win in several races, but will now be forced to miss them after being relocated to Belgium for surgery. The Kazakh is focusing on the Tour de France as his main goal this season, and should nevertheless have time to recover and properly prepare for the Grand Tour.