Kris Boeckmans has told Cycling Weekly that despite recovering quickly from his horrible Vuelta crash, that left him under the knife for eight hours to repair his face and left him unable to speak for two weeks, his morale was incredibly low during the whole process.

“On a scale of one to ten I came from so far away that now I am almost at zero,” Boeckmans told reporters.

“Physically, I feel like I can handle more and more, but I can not force myself. I can already do five minutes on the bike.”

Boeckmans, who rides for Lotto-Soudal, spoke about what effects the surgery has had on him, and what he has to do to keep himself healthy.

“I sometimes have that dirty feeling like you’ve been to the dentist. I have no headache, but do feel tired. As soon as I feel a slight pressure on my brain, I stop and have to rest.”