Fabio Jakobsen will require "multiple facial surgeries" after his crash at the Tour of Poland, but says he is "glad to be alive".

The Deceuninck Quick Step rider was involved in a horrifying crash during a sprint finish two weeks ago.

He was pitched through a barrier and into spectators following a tangle with Jumbo-Visma's Dylan Groenewegen.

The 23-year-old was taken to hospital where surgeons operated for five hours to give him "a chance to live".

"It was a difficult, dark period for me in the ICU, where I was afraid of not surviving," added Jakobsen in a statement released by his team.

"Thanks in part to the organisation behind the Tour de Pologne and my team, my family was able to be close to me, which gave me a lot of strength."

Jakobsen's Dutch compatriot Groenewegen, who caused the crash, was suspended by his Jumbo-Visma team pending the outcome of a disciplinary by the UCI, cycling's governing body.

Groenewegen, 27, apologised for the crash on 5 August, and was visibly upset when discussing the incident in an interview., external

Jakobsen, who was in an induced coma and spent a week in intensive care, added: "The trauma doctors and nurses at the finish line in Katowice saved my life, for which I am extremely grateful to them. They operated on me for five hours and gave me the chance to live. I am very grateful.

"Currently I am at home, where the wounds in my face and my injuries can continue to recover. In addition, I have to rest a lot in the coming months because of a severe concussion.

"In the coming weeks and months, I will undergo multiple surgeries and treatments to fix facial injuries."

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