Olympic cycling champion breaks collarbone

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FILE PHOTO: Track Cycling - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games - Women's 25km Points Race Medal Ceremony - Anna Meares Velodrome - Gold Coast, Australia - April 7, 2018. Gold medalist Elinor Barker of Wales celebrates. REUTERS/Paul Childs

LONDON: Olympic champion Elinor Barker has confirmed she suffered a broken collarbone in a high-speed pile-up at the end of the women’s Ride London Classique in London on Saturday.

Barker, part of the British women’s team pursuit squad that won gold on the track in Rio in 2016, was brought down during the sprint to the line near Buckingham Palace.

“They say you’re not a real cyclist until you’ve broken a collarbone — avoided joining the club for 15 years but not much I could do yesterday,” she posted on Twitter.

Barker, 24, was riding for British road team Drops.

Dutchwoman Kirsten Wild, winner of the race in 2018, crossed the line first but was disqualified after inadvertently causing the mayhem. Lorena Wiebes (Parkhotel Valkenburg) was promoted to first place.