Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
A broken wrist that requires surgery is a career-threatening injury for a pro cyclist.

The last time I can recall it happening to a really top pro was in 1977, when Belgian super star Freddy Maertens, resplendent in world champions jersey and just having won the Vuelta a Vuelta a España, (so more like Evenepoel than Pogačar), crashed. He'd already won the Tour of Sardinia, Semaine-Catalane and Paris-Nice stage races, plus the Omloop Het Volk classic. And then he won a record 13 (yes, thirteen) stages of the Vuelta a España* plus the points and overall. (* The race started in April back then.)

Four days after the Vuelta a España finished the Giro started, and Maertens won 7 of the first 11 stages. Then disaster struck on stage 12 when he tangled with Rik Van Lindon, the resulting crash led to 3 hours on the operating table. Maertens made a return to Pro cycling, but he was never the same again and struggled with his wrist for the rest of his career

Sadly, I can't see Pogačar returning to his early April form in time for the Tour de France. The wrist takes a hammering in cycling, so there has to be a question mark over whether we will see the Pogačar we know and love again. I'm hoping for the sport that we do, but it's far from guaranteed.
I would hope that there have been advances in orthopaedic surgery since 1977. Having said that, I can see that having a strong, supple and pain free wrist is pretty important for a top cyclist, and sometimes even the best treatment cannot fully reverse the effects of trauma.