Mikkel Honoré receives hopeful comeback timeline after horror crash and intensive care stay

The Danish rider went down hard during the Belgian one day race at the weekend and was taken to hospital with a long list of injuries. Honoré suffered seven broken ribs, a broken collarbone, fractures to three vertebrae and a punctured lung.

His condition was serious enough for him to be admitted to intensive care, but the latest update from his representatives offers a more encouraging picture.

“As his agents, we are naturally in constant contact with him. It is expected that his collarbone will be operated on soon, at short notice,” TEAMVISION said in a message to Feltet.

The hope, according to the agency, is that the 29-year-old could return to racing by the end of August.

That timeline would at least leave Honoré with a chance to race again before the season is over. Any hopes of making EF Education-EasyPost’s Tour de France squad are now gone, a particularly painful blow in a contract year.

EF Education-EasyPost has not yet issued a further update on his condition.

Honoré’s teammate Kasper Asgreen, who is also recovering from a broken collarbone, said the crash was a hard setback for his compatriot. “It is obviously a shame for him. It is a tough one and something that will take some time,” Asgreen told Feltet. “I hope it is not too serious with the vertebrae.”

Asgreen said the broken ribs and collarbone were injuries Honoré should be able to manage, even if the recovery would be painful, but he admitted the vertebrae fractures were a greater concern.

“Ribs and collarbone, he will probably get through, even though it hurts, but vertebrae are never nice,” he said.