John Kerry ‘stable’ after breaking leg in Alps cycling accident

US secretary of state John Kerry broke his right leg in an accident while cycling a portion of the Tour de France route near Scionzier, France, on Sunday and is returning to the United States, his spokesman said.

He has cancelled visits to Madrid and Paris.

Mr Kerry broke his femur but he is expected to make a full recovery, spokesman John Kirby said. He was taken to Geneva's main hospital and was in a stable condition.

Mr Kerry had been due later on Sunday to travel to Madrid, his first visit to Spain as secretary of state, to sign a bilateral defence agreement that would allow the United States to have permanent use of Moron air base, near Seville.

He had then been due on Monday to fly to Paris for a meeting with Iraqi prime minister Haidar al-Abadi and members of a US-supported coalition fighting the militant group Islamic State.

Mr Kerry (71) is still an avid sportsman and often takes his own bike on official trips abroad. The accident came the day after he met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Geneva to try to overcome obstacles in negotiations on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme.

It was not immediately clear how the injury would affect the nuclear negotiations with just a month left before a June 30th deadline for a final agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.

Mr Kerry was flown by helicopter from the scene of the accident after he was stabilised by a doctor and paramedic who were with his accompanying motorcade. He was resting comfortably and in good spirits in the Geneva hospital, Mr Kirby said.

A senior state department official said it appeared Mr Kerry had hit a kerb. There was no vehicle involved. – (Reuters)