After his high-speed crash this past Sunday at the Tour de l’Ain, the two-time Swiss National Champion had to end his season abruptly in light of the heavy injuries he received.
The 35 year old from Urne, Switzerland broke the iliac crest on his pelvis as well as a rib. Additional medical examinations will clarify whether there are additional internal injuries.
Zberg, who took a silver medal at the 1999 World Championships, has been ordered to spend at least the next four weeks without any physical activity whatsoever. This effectively ends his season. Consequently, he wishes to announce his immediate retirement after 14 years as a professional cyclist.
"For me, this crash and the serious injury resulting from it indicate for me that it is time to end my career. The decision is definite."
His current employer, the BMC Racing Team naturally regrets the situation. "We respect Markus’ decision and are proud that he has been a part of our team for this season. His personality
and experience made a huge contribution to the development of our team as a whole," is how General Team Manager Gavin Chilcott summarized the team’s cooperation with the Swiss veteran.
Andy Rihs, the owner of the team’s title sponsor also regrets that Markus Zberg must end his career after this accident.
"It is always unfortunate when a successful career must end in this way. We would gladly have extended the option for Markus to stay another year with the team because Markus is not only an exemplary professional, but also one of the nicest guys in the business. I would like to thank Markus cordially for his work with the BMC Racing Team, and wish him a rapid and complete recovery."
