While concerns were raised about whether Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) will be in a position to tackle the Tour de France after his crash last weekend, his team and the surgeon who operated on him seem very optimistic about his chances.
Meanwhile, the pothole that caused his crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège last Sunday was filled in just two days after the incident. Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) suffered a double puncture after hitting the hole, and that incident caused the crash that took down Pogačar.
A series of holes was visible on he stretch of road near Bertogne but now photos have emerged of that section of tarmac having being filled in. It looks like the kind of repair that should produce more holes in the not too distant future.
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UAE Team Emirates is hopeful Pogačar will be able to join a planned pre-Tour altitude camp, beginning in about three weeks, saying he should also be able to train on the rollers almost immediately. His surgeon has also been quoted in Belgian media saying the Slovenian rider should be ready to ride the Tour de France, which begins on July 1st.
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"In the best of scenarios, he will be ready for the Grande Boucle", said surgeon Dr Joris Duerinckx in an interview with Sporza. “The wrist is a complex joint. The scaphoid is the vessel-shaped bone that is the connection between the forearm and the rest of the hand. It is essential for the proper functioning of the wrist joint.
“Tadej had little or no pain and was able to go home the same day of the operation. He remained very calm and focused on his recovery. That is why we have also chosen to operate quickly, so that his rehabilitation can begin directly. He can train on the rollers, but he has to avoid heavy strain on the wrist for a few weeks.”
Pogačar required a small screw to be inserted into his left wrist to align the bone fragments from the scaphoid fracture. He also suffered a fracture to the lunate bone, in his left hand, though that did not require any surgery. While the normal recovery period is about six weeks, his team has said he should be able to resume training on the home trainer very quickly.
One of the UAE Team Emirates managers, Joxean Fernandez Matxín, has told the Belgian media the team was still aiming to have Pogačar at the pre-Tour altitude camp, starting in mid May. This was despite the wrist and hand fractures combined being more complex than a simple fracture to either one.
