Chad Haga has all 96 of his stitches removed after Giant-Alpecin training crash

American Chad Haga still recovering from severe facial laceration, and says that he has been on a static bike

17 January 2015
17th Tour Down Under
Team Presentation
HAGA Chad (USA) Giant - Alpecin
Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Chad Haga has had 96 stitches removed from his neck, face, elbow and knee, as he continues to recover from a horrific Giant-Alpecin training incident.

Haga was air-lifted to hospital after a car collided with a group of Giant-Alpecin riders during a training ride in Calpe, Spain, on Saturday, January 23.

"The final 40 stitches are gone! Final tally: 6 in the knee, 2 in elbow, 88 in face/neck. Glad that's done!" Haga said via Twitter on Friday morning.

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The 27-year-old American was the worst injured of the six riders taken to hospital, with injuries to his neck, legs, arms and a fractured eye socket.

Throughout Haga's stay in hospital he kept fans updated on his progress with a series of humorous messages posted via social media – proving that the painful incident had done little to dull his sense of fun.

Chad Haga posted a photograph of himself on Instagram showing his facial injuries

Chad Haga posted a photograph of himself on Instagram showing his facial injuries

Haga reported earlier in the week that he had taken part in a 30-minute spin on a static bike, but that he was still suffering with pain in his neck.

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Haga's team-mate John Degenkolb was also injured in the incident, suffering from a deep cut the base of a finger on his left hand. The German Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo champion said on Wednesday that it is unlikely that he will recover sufficiently to take part in this year's spring classics.

Although the exact events leading to the collision are still unclear, police in Alicante have charged a 73-year-old British woman in relation to the incident.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.