Lukas Nerurkar has revealed he was seriously injured by a driver in a training crash whilst visiting family in England.
The incident occurred on 2nd July. The 22-year-old suffered a broken collarbone that was also dislocated, a fractured sternum, a fractured vertebra, a broken rib, and a punctured lung. In a statement released by his team, EF Education-EasyPost, Nerurkar said, “I’m happy it wasn’t worse, and also it’s just generally scary that a car can do that to you so easily.”
After two days spent in hospital, the Brit was discharged. After complicated collarbone surgery last week, which the team say was a success, the Brit is now expected to wait for his ribs, sternum and lung to repair naturally. His team doctor estimates recovery will take between six and eight weeks, although Nerurkar is keen to start training sooner.
“Because it’s the distal part of the collarbone, so the part closest to the shoulder, and there’s quite a few ligaments around there which have been damaged, they’ve had to do some work as well. It’s not just been putting a plate in.
“I think that’s going to take a little bit longer than usual and the fact that it’s a broken sternum and the broken rib too, so waiting for them to heal. With a straightforward collarbone fracture, it’s a matter of weeks, but then this time I might have to wait a little bit longer. We’re hopeful that it’s going to be no more than a couple weeks before I can get back out on the turbo.”
Nerurkar, son of British marathon runner Richard Nerurkar, grew up in both Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Brighton, where his parents live and where he is now recovering for the coming weeks before returning to Andorra. As an 18-year-old he joined the now defunct Trinity Racing team where he won a stage of the under-23 Giro d’Italia and finished sixth overall at the O Gran Camino stage race behind Jonas Vingegaard.
He joined EF Education–EasyPost in 2024 and has since finished in the top-10 of a series of World and ProTour stage races. Most notably, he finished third on an uphill finish on a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné (now the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) in 2024. He made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana last year, finishing in 104th.
road.cc have been tracking Nerurkar’s progress for several years. In 2017, as a 13-year-old, Nerurkar attempted to ‘Everest’ up the Ditchling Beacon, climbing the Sussex hill 65 times in a day. Unfortunately, he had to abandon his attempt due to sickness, though his Preston Park club mate Tom Pughe-Morgan did complete the challenge. In the process the teenagers raised more than £2,000 for charity.
1 thought on ““It’s just generally scary that a car can do that to you so easily”: EF pro cyclist Lukas Nerurkar seriously injured after being hit by driver on training ride whilst visiting family back in UK”
“it’s just generally scary that a car can do that to you so easily.”
@mitsky Over to you…