Twitter helps rider get SRM unit back after Tour of Flanders crash

Swiss cyclist Martin Elmiger won’t want to dwell too much on yesterday’s Tour of Flanders – the IAM Cycling rider broke his left scaphoid when he crashed during the race – but his power data is safe after a sports director from a rival team picked up his SRM device and went on social media to try and find the owner.

Pictures of the SRM Powercontrol 7 unit – retail price £580 – was shared on Twitter by Valentin Gaudin of Direct Energie and brought to IAM Cycling’s attention by insider blogger Inner Ring, who had spotted the initials ‘ME’ on the back.

@IAM_Cycling Is this Martin Elmiger's PC7 after his crash? https://t.co/fuKFfTIGiM

— the Inner Ring (@inrng) April 4, 2016

SRM retrouvé dans la chute au km 122 à Volkegem sur le @RondeVlaanderen !
RT pour retrouver son propriétaire ! pic.twitter.com/DVWqZfmvKm

— Valentin Gaudin (@Valoucald) April 4, 2016

Elmiger’s team confirmed that the unit did indeed belong to him, and asked Gaudin to hand it to a member of IAM Cycling’s staff, with Direct Energie no doubt banking a favour from its fellow UCI Professional Continental team in some future race.

The fracture is a repeat of the one on the same bone that the 37-year-old sustained at the 2014 Tour of Flanders and likewise rules him out of Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix – a race he finished fifth in last season, his best ever result in a Monument.