Fabian Cancellara has finally managed to return to training on the road bike, just over a month after crashing heavily in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen and suffering a quadruple fracture to his collarbone.
The Swiss rider is now well enough to venture out on the road, and admits that he was surprised at the extent of the damage that he suffered.
"The fractures were one thing. It is the damage around that which was greater than expected,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Shoulder, ligaments, muscles – everything was affected.”
Cancellara’s accident happened in the Flandrian Classic on April 1st. The RadioShack Nissan rider was aiming to take his second victory in the race, but crashed out in the feedzone and suffered a quadruple fracture to his collarbone.
Because of the extent of the damage, he is still struggling with the sensations, especially when he is out on the road bike. "It's still a strange feeling, particularly painful. I could take painkillers…I prefer not to. Not to train. My body has already suffered enough.
“Since my accident, I have already undergone two doping controls. One for the UCI, one for the Swiss federation. There were so medications on the list that I sent to the UCI that I don’t want to add more.”
The rider does not indicate when he will return to racing. His recovery has taken far longer than that of Filippo Pozzato, who was able to get back to competition just nine days after his own crash in the Tour of Qatar. But the nature of the collarbone injuries are very different, with Cancellara’s fall having a greater effect on him.
Initially, he said that he responded well and the pain dwindled somewhat after surgery. However it returned and an ultrasound revealed a tear in his ligaments.
The after-effects of his crash have made it difficult for him to train. He’s consequently adjusted his setup to try to take the pressure off his shoulder.
"I’m now searching for another position on the bike,” he said. “I must sit upright as much as possible. It is not comfortable. I feel like a cyclotourist on the bike. "
Cancellara had a strong start to the season and looked destined to fight for the victory in both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. He will hope that enough of that fitness remains to speed his return to form.
The Tour de France and Olympic Games are likely to be his two big targets, while a later one is to reclaim the world championship time trial title he lost to Tony Martin last autumn.