The end of the year had multiple twists for Rubén Fernández. He wore the red jersey in the Vuelta, was a teammate of final winner teammate Nairo Quintana and then broke his collarbone at Milan-Turin before he crashed again in training earlier this month. With broken teeth and a broken jaw, the Spaniard is sidelined but he admits that it could have been worse. 

"It was a crash and a serious injury but it could have been worse,” he tells Ciclo21. “I remember well how it happened because I never lost consciousness. I was alone and I rode quietly at around 30km/h when the wind lifted my wheel and knocked me down. I was lucky that there was no car behind me. ”

The accident was also not too bad when it comes to his ambitions for the new season. Unlike the past two years, Fernández had not planned to go to the Tour Down Under in January. 

"The initial idea was to start in Mallorca but after what happened to me, I have to wait to see when I can start the season. I always like to start the year very strongly but above all I must now see how it will evolve.”

The recovery is going pretty well and he can soon eat properly again. "According to the doctors, I can resume training in mid-December but I have to clear my head,” he concluded.