Mikel Landa hit by car during training ride

Mikel Landa has been hit by a car during a training ride.

The Spaniard posted a photo on social media showing him in hospital but giving a thumbs up to indicate he has escaped serious injury.

The 30-year-old says he was out training with a friend when a car hit them from behind.

He will soon take the start line for his first race with new team Bahrain - McLaren, having transferred from Movistar, and that he will hope to resume training in a few days time.

The 42-year-old driver of the Renault Megane has apparently been arrested and is believed to have caused another crash earlier in the day, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo have reported.

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"This morning while training with a friend, a car rammed us from behind, on the run," Landa said. "Early tests confirm that everything is fine. I'm hoping in the next few days to get back to training."

Bahrain - McLaren's signing of Landa was announced on August 5, with the climber one of a number of notable signings made by the team, orchestrated by new team principal Rod Ellingworth, who had moved over from Ineos.

These signings are Wout Poels from Ineos and Mark Cavendish from Dimension Data, with the sprinter set to begin his season at the Saudi Tour in the first week of February.

Landa will likely target the yellow jersey of the Tour de France, having finished in the top 10 for the past three editions, coming closest as part of Team Sky in 2017 when he finished fourth.

He is the second WorldTour rider in the space of a week to be hospitalised in a hit and run incident. Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Mikkel Honoré was rushed to hospital after being struck by a car during a training ride. Luckily, he's already back on his bike and continuing his training for the season ahead.

Last week a driver was fined €200 after a Danish youth rider was killed in a collision during a time trial.

The driver said she did not see signs warning oncoming traffic of the race taking place before colliding with 18-year-old Byskov Sarbo.