From standing atop a world championship podium last week, Kiwi cyclist Aaron Gate has come crashing back to earth - literally - and out of the Tour of Denmark with a broken collarbone.
Gate, 32, was one of New Zealand's stars at a successful track programme at Glasgow, with gold in the points race, and bronze medals in madison and team pursuit.
"It's an understatement to say I've wanted that for a long time," he said, after his points victory.
Returning to his Black Spoke pro team, he safely negotiated the opening two stages of the Danish road event, but came to grief on day three.
"Weeeell not the kinda picture I wanted to share, but that's how my Tour of Denmark ended yesterday," he posted on Instagram, with an x-ray of the shattered clavicle.
"Back home to get the collarbone plated back together now."
Disaster is nothing new to Gate, who also crashed out of the team pursuit bronze-medal race at the Tokyo Olympics, but returned the follow year to capture four Commonwealth Games gold medals at individual pursuit, points race and team pursuit on the track, as well as the road race at Birmingham.
A decade after winning the world omnium crown, he will now try to bounce back for next year's Paris Olympics.
