Daily Times

PARIS: Tadej Pogacar, a Slovenian cycling great, said Monday that he considers himself “lucky” to have just fractured his wrist in a “crazy crash” during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic.

His UAE team said recovery would take around six weeks which will curtail Pogacar’s preparation for the Tour de France which starts on July 1.

The 24-year-old suffered a fall after 85 kilometres on Sunday and underwent an operation later that day in Belgium.

Team medical director Dr. Adrian Rotunno, speaking Monday, said Pogacar had sustained a “scaphoid fracture which required a small screw to realign the bone fragments. The procedure was successful and he will begin his recovery period at home”.

“Due to the nature of the injury, it’s approximately six weeks recovery. Though he will start with immediate rehab, and some training on an indoor trainer in the coming days.”

Pogacar was targeting the Tour de France where he will bid to regain his crown having been deposed last year by Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard after winning the previous two editions.

“I am lucky it just broken wrist, considering crazy crash that happened,” Pogacar posted on Instagram along with photographs showing him smiling with his left arm in plaster.

“I really wish the best recovery to Mikkel Honore who went down way harder than me.

“I hope to see you all really soon,” added Pogacar.

The crash dashed Pogacar’s hopes of a sweep of the Ardennes classics having won the Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne in the previous week.