Tadej Pogacar ‘lucky’ to only fracture wrist in crash

Brussels: Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar said he was lucky to suffer only a fractured wrist when he crashed out of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in Belgium on Sunday.

Slovenian Pogacar, who won the event in 2021, underwent surgery in Genk to treat a scaphoid fracture after being involved in a crash with EF EducationEasyPost’s Mikkel Honore.

UAE Team Emirates’ medical director Adrian Rotunno said his recovery would take approximately six weeks, but Pogacar said the incident could have been much worse.

“I am lucky it (is) just a broken wrist, considering the crazy crash that happened,” Pogacar said on Instagram on Monday. “I really wish the best recovery to @mikkelhonore who went down way harder than me.”

Pogacar’s injury setback could affect his preparations for this year’s Tour de France, which begins on July 1.

Honore also felt lucky to escape without major injury.

“I have a concussion and some road rash, but am just really happy that nothing worse happened, since it was a really high-speed crash,” he posted on social media.