Johann Tschopp: «I was very lucky»

“I woke up early this morning.  I felt pain following the surgery.  I am heavier since I have a plate and eight screws to reduce the fracture of my left collarbone.”

Johann Tschopp commented on his health with a touch of humor after returning to his home following surgery where he was placed under general anesthesia at the University of Geneva Hospitals (HUG).  According to Professor Jacques Ménétrey, a member of the staff at the University Hospital, the operation went satisfactorily.

“The fracture was rather complex because the clavicle was in six pieces, but in the end all went well.  Now Johann will undergo a recovery training program with Compex, and a program of intensive physiotherapy in the Valais.  We will have to count on it taking six weeks to heal since it is a more complicated fracture than the one Stefan Denifl suffered at the Tour of Austria.”  

Surrounded by his family, the IAM Cycling pro has kept his morale up and has every ambition to return to his best.

“The crash was heavy, I was very lucky.  On the descent, we were able to make a small gap with Romain Bardet.  He took the lead in the last technical corners.  Maybe I was too cautious, and when taking a tight curve to my left, my wheel slipped out from me on some gravel.  Everything happened so fast that I did not even have time to be afraid.  I found myself in a field without knowing whether I went under or over the fence for the cows.  I was a little dazed and in shock, so I didn’t notice my shoulder injury at first.  But after a moment I understood.  Now I’ll wait for the pain to pass and I will then jump into my rehabilitation with physio work so that I lose as little fitness as possible.  I will be on the rollers with the bike as soon as possible and then get on the road at the earliest opportunity.”

Though recognizing the irony that his crash in the Tour de l’Ain is one year to the day after his overall victory in the 2012 Tour of Utah, Johann Tschopp prefers to dwell on the superb performance of his friend and teammate Sébastien Reichenbach, who finished 4^th overall.

“He has a great future.  He has unlimited potential and there is no reason why he should not continue to progress with this momentum.  He is excellent at listening to advice and then putting it to use in practical situations.”