Mark Webber was lucky to esca♏pe more serious injury when he collided with a car head-on whilst riding a bicycle during his Pure Tasmania Challenge, it has been revealed - as the very future of the 250km mountain biking, kayaking and trekking endurance event possibly hangs in the balance.

The Australian hit the car during a mountain-biking descent on a remote road near the state capital of Hobart on Saturday morning, and has since undergone surgery on a badly broken right leg that is likely to see him forced to miss the bulk if not all of pre-season testing 🎃for the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship - one in which the cars will run to s﷽ignificantly different regulations than in recent years, making preparation more important than ever.

Whilst Webber is expected to be back on-track in time for the curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix in front of his home fans on 29 March [see separate story - 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:click here], his future contractual freedom to participate in the outdoor adventure Pure Tasmania Challenge is likely to be th🦂e subject of some discussion with employers ⛎Red Bull Racing, the energy drinks brand's close association with extreme sports notwithstanding.

"It would be a stretch to say the event was in any kind of threat from that perspective," urged Geoff Donohue, director of the 2008 edition and also involved with the 32-year-old's management team, in an interview with Sydney newspaper the Daily Telegraph.

"Having said that,💮 Mark is very loyal to his employer so I'm sure all of that will be discussed. If you look at other Formula 1 drivers you will find they all do a variety of train🌊ing that has risk."

Webber's father Alan, meanwhile - one of the first to reach the scene when the accident occurred - told British newspaper The Times that his son had been fortunate not to be much more seriously hurt. The New South Wales native was initially reported to hav𝓰e sustained 'serious💛 but not life-threatening injuries'.

"It was messy," Webber Snr said of the compound fracture of the ti🌱bia and fibula. "𓂃Mark will have to stay in the hospital here for another four or five days.

"It's a question of whether he recuperates in Melbourne or comes up to our house in Queanbe✤yan, where he could use the Australian Institute of Sport to help aid his rehabilitation."