Specialized-lululemon’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg will take the rest of the 2013 racing season off to recover from a head injury incurred at an early season race.
“I have been talking with the team for couple of days now and we came to the decision that sitting out the season is the smartest thing for me to do,” said Teutenberg. “It is hard to admit defeat to the crash as I have gotten a lot better in the last weeks, but Iam just not a the point to be an athlete and resume full training in order to get ready and be competitive. Right now I am still fighting to be able to do every day life stuff and the main focus is that i get 100% healthy and not risk my health in order to be at a start line.”
“Our initial goal was to get Ina back to racing in time for the Giro Rosa which is due to start at the end of June,” said Team Owner Kristy Scrymgeour. “We wanted to give her the chance to finish out the season but unfortunately she is not ready. We’ve been very careful and conservative with her as the hit to the head was very hard and with the head you can never be too careful.
“It’s been pretty hard for her. She’s been racing since she was six years old and she definitely doesn’t like being this sedentary. She also hates letting down her team. But she supports them for the sideline and this will give her a chance to recover fully and then make a decision later in the year if she’ll be back for another year of racing next year.”
“As for the team, we miss our team sprinter but she’s definitely been giving her tactical input to the girls and they did a great job this spring with three riders out to injury.”
Ina found success racing in SoCal at the San Dimas Stage Race and Redlands Classic.
Photo © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
