"I was lucky"

They say cycling is the toughest sport there is. That means cyclists have to be tougher than most other athletes out there. Markel Irizar is proof of that. The former Euskaltel rider sustained a broken jaw, a broken finger and various other injuries to his face (which the picture above displays so eloquently) on Saturday afternoon when out training. 24 hours later, the rouleur is in good spirits and says he feels "lucky".

"I haven't broken any teeth and, gladly, I don't have to get my jaw operated on. My hand is nothing. Therefore, all in all, I have to be happy. I was lucky", he told el Diario Vasco on Sunday.

Like cyclists who have taken a hit to the head tend to, he doesn't remember anything from the episode.

"I remember I was out training - I planned to ride from Osintxu to Bergara. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don't remember anything from the incident itself. I crashed, obviously, but how it came about I don't know. I was on my own, going fast, that much I know. The terrain, being flat, lends itself to that kind of riding. I was supposed to meet up with Haimar (Zubeldia) and Amets (Txurruka), but at the time I was riding alone. After having spent a bit of time at the hospital, I saw Haimar had tried to call me."

If ever there is a "good" time to crash, November and December represent the ideal time to do so as the season is still some way off. Irizar acknowledges as much, saying:

"It won't hamper my preparations that much. It's still early December, so I've got time on my side to get into decent shape for the start of the season. I'll take a few days off as a precaution, and then restart training".