Tony Martin may need surgery at end of season

Time trial world champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)

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Correction needed on hand broken at Tour de France

Tony Martin is now able to ride without pain in the hand he broke during the Tour de France, but nevertheless faces the possibility of surgery on the injured left hand after the season.

Martin led Team Omega Pharma-QuickStep to victory on Sunday in the team time trial at the World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands, and is the top favourite to win the men’s title on Wednesday and defend his world title.

The German crashed early in the first stage of the Tour de France, and was diagnosed with a broken scaphoid. He stayed in the race, wearing a special brace, and abandoned on the first race day. He went on to win a silver medal in the London Olympics time trial.

Surgery may be necessary to prevent him from suffering from arthritis in the hand later. “We will talk about after the Worlds,” team doctor Helge Riepenhof told the dpa news agency.

“If the operation is necessary, then it must be done. But it is important to find the most sensible time,” said Martin’s manager Jörg Werner. Martin’s last race of the season is the Tour of Beijing, which he won last year, to be held October 7-14.

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