Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was recovering from surgery on Wednesday.

Armstrong had a stainless steel plate and 12 screws inserted to stabilize his fractured right collarbone.

The 37-year-old American broke his collarbone in four places during the first stage of Spain's Vuelta Castilla y Leon on Monday and returned to the United States to have surgery in Austin, Texas.

Although Armstrong's broken collarbone was more serious than initially suspected and required a "challenging" operation, his surgeon said he was confident the rider would be able to resume light training after about a week.

Armstrong, who returned to the sport this year after more than three years in retirement, is still hoping to make his first appearance in the Giro d'Italia in May before riding the Tour de France in July.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2009)