Virginia Berasategui, the Spanish Ironman star who won Wildflower and took third at Ironman Hawaii last year, was hit by a car while training on the Balearic island of in Mallorca, Spain and lost three teeth in the February 15 collision. According to a report in EiTB.com, a Basque country news website, Berasategui was in a road cycling training session when a small car traveling in the opposite direction lost control on a wet road, swerved into her lane and hit her and three other Kuota cyclists.

Berasategui reportedly flew into the car, with her face striking the grill and hood. Doctors said she lost three teeth, her lip was slashed and she suffered bruises all over her body. Berasategui can thank her helmet for preventing more serious injuries – it was crushed in the collision. The three other cyclists suffered only minor injuries.

Berasategui, who was considered one of the favorites for the rich prize purse at the inaugural Abu Dhabi long distance triathlon this March, traveled to her home near Bilbao for orthodontic treatment and recovery.

Berasategui, who also won the 2003 ITU long distance World Championship, won twice at Ironman Lanzarote, and took the 2009 Spanish long distance title, was approaching the peak of her career.