Kristen Faulkner hit by car while training in California, sustains small knee fracture

Kristen Faulkner's hopes and ambitions for the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have suffered a major blow after the American suffered a small fracture in her knee after being hit by a car during training in California.

Falkner crashed twice in the opening stages of the Tour de France Femmes last year and was hoping to make a successful return this year. However Jayco-AlUla were cautious about her return to racing. The team did not outline exactly where the fracture occurred or gave an expected time-frame for her return to racing.

The team issued a statement on Twitter early European time on Wednesday, saying Faulkner was hit by a car when out training.

"Unfortunately due to the incident, Faulkner will be unable to race until the knee had healed," said Jayco-AlUla.

"As always, the health and wellbeing of riders is the priority and Faulkner will work closely with the medical team throughout this recovery period."

Faulkner joined the Australian squad last season, stepping into a leadership role, and delivered a strong opening, with podium placings at races including Itzulia Women and the Tour de Suisse, along with a time trial victory race in Switzerland plus stage victories and a mountains classification win at the Giro d'Italia Donne, before the crashes in France.

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It hadn't been the easiest of starts to the season for Faulkner in 2023, with no podiums on the results sheet. Though that could have all been different were it not for her disqualification at Strade Bianche, where she had charged off on an exciting solo only to be caught by SD Worx teammates Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky.

Faulkner still held on to cross the line in third and got to celebrate on the podium. However, later the best result of Faulkner's season was taken away with the 30-year-old disqualified for wearing a continuous glucose monitor sensor during the race.

The stage races in July would have been the perfect opportunity for her to turn the season around, though now the indications see, to be that team will line up at the Giro d'Italia Donne from June 30 to July 9 and the Tour de France Femmes from July 23 to July 30 without Faulkner as an option.

Ane Santesteban will be the team's supported rider for the Giro d'Italia Donne, in a squad that includes Georgia Baker, Ingvild Gåskjenn, Nina Kessler, Letizia Paternoster, Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Urška Žigart.