Skip to content

Ben Swift to undergo surgery on shoulder injury sustained in Tour de Yorkshire crash

Ben Swift, Team Sky, generic
Image: Ben Swift is facing a period out of action

Team Sky’s Ben Swift will undergo surgery to repair “internal" shoulder damage he sustained in a crash on stage one of the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday.

Swift fell on wet roads around 50km from the finish and had to abandon the race.

X-rays on Friday evening revealed no fractures, but a further scan on Saturday uncovered damage to the right shoulder joint.

He will undergo surgery on Wednesday and has been ruled out of the Tour of California later this month.

Swift told teamsky.com: "I have had a lot of great support this week and a lot of people asking how I am after the crash. I really want to thank everyone for that.

'Couldn't move'

More from Tour De Yorkshire 2015

"The race was an incredible experience for as long as it lasted. I have never heard so many people shouting my name before.

"As soon as I landed I felt it and knew something wasn't right. And because I was at the front when I crashed I got hit a lot from behind. By the time I managed to get up I couldn't move my arm and then the team car came.”

Swift has had problems with his right shoulder before. He dislocated it in 2012 and underwent surgery twice in the following 18 months.

Team Sky doctor Richard Usher said: "Following on from Ben's crash yesterday, and despite normal X-rays, he went on to have an MR scan of his shoulder today [Saturday].

“This has shown that there is some internal damage to the shoulder joint, which is going to require surgery that will take place this week."

Around Sky