No surgery needed for Martin, who returns home

Tony Martin's multiple fractures do not require surgery, and so the world time trial champion has gone home to recover. The Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider was hit by a car whilst training last week, suffering fractures of the eye socket, cheekbone, jaw, shoulder blade and upper arm.

“My face is still very swollen, the left eye red and shut,” he wrote on his website. “I still can't move my arm properly.”

Because of the broken jaw, he is on a diet of “soft and liquid nourishment” such as soups and puddings. He hoped to try soft bread over the weekend.

“All in all, I and doing quite well, when you think that my accident was only two and a half days ago. It could have been much worse.”

He credited  that to his years of experience. “It is good that I landed on my left side and not face-first. Probably I have had so many crashes as a pro that I automatically curled up and prepared myself for the crash in less than a second.”

He must return for follow-up with the doctor in a week, and “I hope by then that the first signs of healing are visible.”