On the face of it, jetting off to California for some winter training seems like a cracking idea. It hasn’t quite panned out for World DH Champion Rachel Atherton, though – after just a few days near Fox Racing Shox HQ in Northern California she’s had a head-on collision with a truck on a road training ride.

Fortunately it looks like she’s got off reasonably lightly, with some cuts, a dislocated shoulder and a knackered Cervélo, although we don’t yet know the full extent of her injuries. Right now it doesn’t sound like anything that’ll prevent her from taking to the start ramp for the opening round of the 2009 World Cup, though.

The exact circumstances surrounding the accident are unclear, although the area’s mountain roads are narrow and twisty. By her own admission, Atherton was listening to music and had her head down just before the crash, and there’s speculation that she may have been on the wrong side of the road.

Get well soon, and all that…

And while we’re dealing with matters Athertonian, allow us to briefly mention the latest crop of Atherton Training Days at Llandegla, North Wales. Six new dates in March have been announced, with “Fundamentals” courses on 7, 8, 21 and 22 March and “Race Clinics” on the 14th and 15th. Obviously the courses tend not to run during the race season, so if you want to grab a place, move quickly – head to www.athertonracing.co.uk for details.