Filippo Pozzato's seat post snaps after avoiding crash with truck

Former pro Filippo Pozzato was nearly hit by a truck while out on a ride, luckily coming away pretty much unscathed.

The 39-year-old says a truck was coming up on his side of the road as he was cycling through the streets of Venice, Pozzato having to veer off the road to avoid a collision.

Thankfully, he only suffered some cuts and bruises, but his bike was worse for wear, a picture posted on his Instagram showing the seat post completely bent out of shape, the handlebars and rims of the bike also damaged.

"Unfortunately I went off the road and crashed while cycling through the streets of Venice. I had to avoid a truck, which came up on me on a descent on my side of the road," Pozzato wrote on Instagram.

>>> Riders at Tour of the Basque Country unsure how to adapt and not fall foul of UCI’s ban on the ‘super-tuck’

"Fortunately, the consequences are not very severe, except for some bruises and scrapes. I thank everyone who worried about me and messaged me."

Pozzato went on to ask all drivers to take more care on the road because the consequences can sometimes be grave.

"I would like to ask everyone once again to drive more attentively and with more concentration, because you can really endanger your own life and the life of someone else."

Pozzato was a pro for 19 years from 2000 to 2018, riding for Mapei- Quickstep, Liquigas, Katusha and Lampre-Merida.

He won Milan - San Remo in 2006 and Tirreno-Adriatico in 2003, as well as two Tour de France stages in 2004 and 2007.

In 2019, having retired from the peloton, Pozzato was reported to have begun competing in the other sport he loves, roller hockey.

The Italian started for second division team Hockey Bassano in northern Italy, having left the sport behind as a teenager to pursue his pro cycling career.