Matej Mohorič says that his helmet saved his life after crashing out of the Giro d'Italia 2021 on stage nine in dramatic fashion.
Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) was very lucky to escape serious injury with the rider from Slovenia coming away from the crash with slight concussion and some bruises, after he was flipped into the air, landing on his head and snapping the forks of his bike.
He was taken away in an ambulance on a stretcher with a neck brace as a precautionary step.
In an update on his condition, Bahrain Victorious confirmed that Mohorič will return to training in a week's time if all is well after the UCI concussion protocol has been passed.
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Mohorič said: "We entered the corner on the limit at high speed. My racing line wasn’t perfect as I didn’t take all the road. I planned to overtake Gino [Mäder, his team-mate] at the exit and go into the front. The corner surprised me, and it was closer than expected. I lost traction on my rear wheel due to the high speed. I was able to catch the bike, but doing so, I was closer to the corner on my left.
"Usually, I wouldn’t crash, but due to the curb, I clipped it with my left pedal, which is evident from the damage. Because of that, my bike went completely sideways, and I hit the curb with my front wheel. Luckily the bike absorbed all the energy as it the fork split, which is why I’ve come out of this crash with only minor bruises and a slight concussion.
"After the crash, I felt a bit of pain and adrenaline rush, but I feel good and will be back training in a week after undergoing the UCI concussion protocol. These crashes always show the importance of wearing a helmet. I’d like to thank our partner Rudy Project, as the helmet saved my life."
