"It just feels like Thor smashed my thigh with his hammer": Michal Kwiatkowski counts his luck after scary Milano-Sanremo crash

Tadej Pogacar's Milano-Sanremo victory will be remembered for a long time, but the race was also marked by several heavy crashes. One of the worst involved INEOS Grenadiers inside the final 70 kilometres, with Michal Kwiatkowski among those who came off worst. The former world champion has since shared an update on Instagram, and while the news is largely positive, the extent of the damage makes for uncomfortable reading.

The crash happened as tension in the bunch reached boiling point ahead of the Capi, with multiple teams fighting for position at the front. INEOS Grenadiers and Pinarello-Q36.5 were both heavily involved, and contact between the two lines brought several riders down. Kwiatkowski was seen lying by the roadside next to a pole, clearly in pain. Teammates Ben Turner and Connor Swift were also caught up in the incident, leaving the team severely weakened at a critical point in the race.

Days after the race, Kwiatkowski posted an update for his followers from the Cote d'Azur, where he is recovering. The news could have been much worse. "Quite a lot of road rash, the elbow took a hit and needed a few stitches, but nothing too serious. CT scan came back clear and X-rays of the thigh and elbow look good," he wrote on Instagram.

The main concern is a significant hematoma. "The biggest issue right now is a massive hematoma on my thigh. It's really swollen and I can't bend the leg at the moment, so we'll see how it develops over the next few days," he explained.

As for his femur somehow coming through the impact intact, even Kwiatkowski himself cannot quite explain it. "Honestly, no idea how the femur survived that impact… maybe short legs and a bit of muscle helped this time. Right now it just feels like Thor smashed my thigh with his hammer."

With his leg currently immobilized by the swelling, the INEOS Grenadiers medical team will monitor the hematoma. The coming days will determine how quickly he can return to racing.