A black cat has slipped onto Nacer Bouhanni's luggage rack and never leaves it.
On Sunday, the Arkéa-Samsic rider crashed in the final of the last round of the Challenge Mallorca.
After nine months of absence, the French returned to competition this week but could not finish the Spanish race.
He “suffered a head trauma and has pain in the ribs which will require a control radio on his return to France”, indicated the Breton formation on his Twitter account.
Victim of a fall in the final of the #TrofeuPalma on the @ChallengeMca, 𝗡𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 suffered a head injury and has pain in the ribs which will require a check-up radio on his return to France.
We are all with you Nacer 💪 pic.twitter.com/Hg4crzjPmn
— Team Arkéa Samsic (@Arkea_Samsic) January 29, 2023
2023 is off to a bad start for the 32-year-old athlete.
2022 had been almost white.
He had already suffered two concussions last year.
Worse, on the Tour of Turkey last April, the former FDJ had fallen violently and had fractured a cervical vertebra.
The accident, which occurred while he was driving at more than 55 km/h, kept him off the road of competition for nine months.
Aligned Thursday with the Trofeo Alcudia, his recovery race, the native of Epinal ranked in 93rd position.
Bouhanni was to line up for the Classic America on February 12 before participating in the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var from February 17 to 19. Arkéa-Samsic has not yet specified whether this calendar will be turned upside down by this new fall.
Beyond the concussion, the runner's ribs and the state of his spine, it will be a question of ensuring that the sprinter's mind is not too affected by this hard blow.