"In the best case scenario, he will be ready in time for the Tour" - Tadej Pogacar's surgeon gives positive update

Joris Duerinckx, the surgeon who operated on Tadej Pogacar after his early crash at Liege-Bastogne-Liege has given a positive update on the Slovenian's hopes of being fully recovered for this summer's Tour de France.

“The scaphoid is the ship-shaped bone that is the link between the forearm and the rest of the hand. It is essential for the proper functioning of the wrist joint,” says Deurinckx to Sporza, explaining that the injuries suffered by Pogacar could normally heal without requiring surgery although, “sometimes it is better to operate to put the pieces together nicely or not to compromise the bone's blood supply.”

Thankfully for Pogacar and fans of the UAE Team Emirates leader, the surgery was successful. “Tadej had little to no pain and was able to go home the same day. He himself remained very calm and was focused on a speedy recovery. That is why we chose to operate quickly, so that his rehabilitation could start quickly," Deurinckx explains. 

So what of the former two-time Yellow Jersey winner's chances of returning to Paris for a chance to regain his title later this summer? "As with any fracture, nature needs time to heal, so we have to wait and see. In the course of next week we will use a scan to see how much bone healing there is already," says Deurinckx. “Pogacar is a top athlete, with an incredible medical environment. He has the best cards in terms of recovery. In the best case scenario, he will be ready in time for the Tour. The scaphoid is a special bone, so we have to wait for the scan. But all expectations are that it should work out.”