Rodríguez crashes out of Katusha camp

Joaquim Rodríguez has gotten off to a rough start at his new home at Katusha.

The Spanish attacker crashed hard on a training ride Sunday on the second day of a training camp along Spain’s Mediterranean Coast, leaving him with 15 stitches and a doctor’s order to take 10 days’ rest.

Rodríguez — who switched from Caisse d’Epargne to Katusha to gain more opportunities to ride as a team captain — rode into some broken glass, punctured his front tire and landed hard on the shards.

Rodríguez felt dizzy after the crash and was transported to a local hospital for a check-up.

“It caused some pretty ugly cuts, one on the gluteus and the other on my thigh,” he said. “The cuts were deep, with a lot of blood. The cut to the gluteus was so deep you could see the fat. They took me to the hospital, where they gave me 15 stitches and told me to take at least 10 days off the bike.”

Other than the stitches and some other minor cuts and bruises, he wasn’t seriously injured.

Rodríguez returned to his home in Spain’s Catalunya and will rejoin his teammates once he heals, team officials reported.

Members of the Katusha team will remain in Calpe for another 10 days. Other team members are scheduled to go to Australia for the Tour Down Under (January 17-24) while others are racing in South America for the Tour de San Luís (January 10-22).