There were moments when, lying in a hospital bed in Valencia, Chad Haga contemplated the prospect of never racing his bike again.
It is no exaggeration to say that the American is lucky to be alive after taking the brunt of the impact when a car crashed into Giant-Alpecin riders on a training ride in late January. Now, though, having committed wholeheartedly to the recovery process – from injuries that included an orbital fracture, damaged veins and arteries, and wounds to the chest, neck, and chin – he finds himself pinning dossards onto his team jersey once more.
After making his first outing of the season at the Critérium International over a week ago, Haga also raced Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, where he told Cyclingnews that he couldn’t have hoped for the comeback to be going much better.
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“It [Critérium International] went really well. I think it went all right on its own, much more so considering it was my first race in six months, after the crash, so I’m happy. I have to keep reminding myself I have January legs right now and everyone else is in Classics season, and I’m just getting started,” he said.
“Especially on Sunday’s course, I got dropped in the first two hours, but it seemed that once everyone burned their extra energy I stayed stable through the whole day and finished strong, so I think that was a good start.”
Serious crashes can affect riders in different ways, and for many they can have a lasting psychological impact. It is common, particularly in the first races back, for nerves to set in when riding in the bunch, especially when races reach their flashpoints and frantic riders take risks and fight for position.
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