Bettini on the Boards

Bettini on the track in Milan. Photo by Giorgio.

It was supposed to be a special send-off, his last professional race ever, but it almost ended in tragedy. During a race on Tuesday at the Milan Six-Day event, Paolo Bettini crashed into the barriers when Yaroslav Popovych fell in front of him. Bettini's helmet was smashed, and he was taken to hospital in a neck brace and on a back board. "The incident was terrible. I couldn't remember anything for a few minutes," Bettini told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Compared to the consequences that I could have suffered, my present condition is reassuring." Thankfully, CAT scans revealed no injuries, and 48 hours later Bettini was back in the velodrome in Milan, this time partnering fellow Olympic and World champion Joan Llaneras in the Madison!

Llaneras and Bettini in the fray. Photo by Roberto Bettini.

Llaneras throws Bettini. There are so many world champ stripes and gold accents in this photo, it's crazy. They won the race, too. Photo by Giorgio.

Gold Specialized Langster. Baller. Photo by Giorgio.

You can read more about Bettini's crash at CyclingNews, and see some pics of Bettini post-crash over on MilanoFixed. Thanks a lot to Giorgio for letting me use his pics of the action. Check out more of his great cycling photos here.