Domenico Pozzovivo leaves hospital after undergoing five surgeries

Domenico Pozzovivo has been released from hospital following his horrific crash during a training ride.

The Bahrain-Merida rider has spent nearly three weeks recovering in hospital after he collided with a car while training near Cosensa in southern Italy.

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He was forced to miss the Vuelta a España, suffering fractures to his right arm, leg, collarbone and ribs two days after arriving home from the Tour of Poland.

Receiving treatment at a hospital in Lugano, Switzerland, Bahrain-Merida doctor Carlo Guardascione said Pozzovivo underwent five surgeries during his three weeks in hospital.

“Pozzovivo successfully underwent five surgeries and now he is ready for rehabilitation. He has been discharged from the hospital this morning and this afternoon he moved to the IRR Rehabilitations Institute of Turin," said Guardascione, "where he will immediately start an intensive rehabilitation therapy to recover from the left elbow and right tibia injuries he suffered in the training accident."

The driver of the Fiat Punto called for help after the coming together with Pozzovivo, with the Italian's injuries  jeopardising his future in cycling. Pozzovivo's dad said the driver took a curve a bit wide and Pozzovivo hit head on and ended up on the bonnet.

Bahrain-Merida have said they are more concerned with their rider's return to full health and are not thinking about getting him back racing at all.

"He’s taken a good hit," team doctor Emilio Magni told La Gazzetta. "The primary objective, even considering that Domenico is 36, is to completely recover the man. We will think about the athlete later."

Pozzovivo is reported in the Italian newspaper as saying: "[The driver] put an end to my career."

The Italian finished 19th at the 2019 Giro d'Italia, helping team-mate Vincenzo Nibali to a second place finish before also finishing seventh at the Tour de Suisse working for Rohan Dennis who finished runner-up to Egan Bernal (Ineos).