Anaïs Chevalier has suffered a broken collarbone ©Getty Images

French biathlete Anaïs Chevalier has suffered a fractured collarbone after being knocked off her bike.

The 24-year-old was struck by a car while out training with the French team.

It means the quadruple World Championship medallist has been hit with an injury blow before the new 2017-18 season, which will include the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

"I am lucky to get away with only a collarbone fracture and a big fright," said Chevalier.

At this year's International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Championships in Hochfilzen in Austria in February, Chevalier walked away with a hat-trick of medals.

Anaïs Chevalier has won four World Championship medals ©Getty Images
Anaïs Chevalier has won four World Championship medals ©Getty Images

She was part of the mixed relay quartet which won silver behind Germany and she also clinched bronze in the individual 7.5 kilometres sprint.

A second bronze came in the women's 4x6km relay, which added to the silver medal she won in the same discipline at the 2016 World Championships in Norwegian capital Oslo.

Chevalier also won an IBU World Cup race during the 2016-17 season.

She topped the podium in the 10km pursuit in Nové Město in the Czech Republic on December 17.