Kerry breaks leg cycling on Tour de France course

The US secretary of state had to cancel both a trip to Spain and his attendance at an international meeting in Paris on the crisis over the ISIL group, after breaking his leg in France.

In this picture taken on March 16, 2015 US Secretary of State John Kerry (R) rides his bike during a break in Lausanne. According to an official spokesperson, Kerry was taken to hospital after having sustained SUSPECTED leg injuries during a cycling accident near Scionzier, France on May 31, 2015. He was transported via medical helicopter to Hospital University Geneva, where he is currently being evaluated. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINIShow less

GENEVA // US secretary of state John Kerry broke his leg in a cycling accident in France on Sunday and had to cut short a European trip to return to the United States for treatment.

Mr Kerry, 71, a keen cyclist, was hospitalised in the Swiss city of Geneva after the accident across the border in the French Alps, the state department said.

He had just set out on a planned ride of one of the stages of the Tour de France, the challenging Col de la Colombiere mountain pass, a local source said.

The top US diplomat, who had just held talks in Switzerland on Saturday on the Iran nuclear crisis, broke his right femur in the accident in the village of Scionzier near Chamonix.

He has had to cancel both a trip to Spain and his attendance at an international meeting in Paris on the crisis over the ISIL group, spokesman John Kirby said.

However, Mr Kirby said he planned on Tuesday to “remotely” join the Paris talks, which are aimed at reviewing the international coalition’s strategy against ISIL.

“The secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening,” his spokesman said.

“Given the injury is near the site of his prior hip surgery, he will return to Boston today to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital with his doctor who did the prior surgery.” Mr Kerry had asked local officials in eastern France’s Haute-Savoi to organise the trip in the beautiful Alpine region.

“He had expressed a wish, a few days ago, to complete a stage of the Tour de France passing through the Col de la Colombiere. The hill is very well-known for its difficulty, and because he loves France and cycling, he decided to climb it on his bicycle,” the local source said.

Another State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr Kerry fell after hitting a kerb.

The top US diplomat was flown by helicopter to the Geneva University Hospital after the accident on Sunday morning.

Mr Kerry held talks on Saturday in Geneva with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif as part of international efforts to secure a landmark nuclear deal ahead of a June 30 deadline.

Mr Kerry has become a recognisable figure as a regular globetrotter since taking office as US secretary of state in February 2013.

During breaks from negotiations, he has often headed out of his hotel to ride his bike – which he usually brings along on his foreign missions – accompanied by a posse of security guards.

Kerry had been scheduled to leave late Sunday afternoon for Madrid.

Spain and the US were to formalise an agreement under which Spain will host a permanent force of 2,200 US marines for deployment on missions to Africa.

British foreign secretary Philip Hammond tweeted: “@JohnKerry sorry to hear of your #Geneva accident. Hoping you make a speedy recovery and are back on the road soon.”

* Agence France-Presse