Fabian Cancellara is back in the saddle without any pain after the crash and fractured two vertebrae he suffered at E3 Harelbeke. The accident prevented him from riding the Tour of Flanders and Paris -Roubaix, his major spring objectives where he targeted a fourth win in both events.

"Medical check done and green light is on for train. Happy about my first ride today without pain," he tweeted after he had ended his 25-day break.

Cancellara was involved in a crash at E3 and the medical report was unequivocal: two fractured vertebrae and the withdrawal from De Ronde and the Hell of the North vertebrae. The Swiss had come into form, after winning a stage in the Tour of Oman and the final time trial in Tirreno-Adriatico and a seventh place in Milan-San Remo.

His comeback is expected at the Bayern Rundfahrt (23-27 May) which is likely to be followed by the Tour of Luxembourg (May 30-June 3) before he lines up at his home race Tour de Suisse.