Olympics-Cycling-UCI defends road course after weekend of crashes (Reuters)
By Martyn Herman RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Cycling’s governing body the UCI said the Olympic course was not to blame for a series of bone-crunching crashes during the weekend’s road races around Rio’s stunning coastline. Dutchwoman Annemiek van Vleuten fractured three vertebrae and suffered concussion in a horrible crash on the Vista Chinesa descent close to the finish at the Copacabana beach. Van Vleuten, 33, was still recovering in hospital on Monday.