Teessi Benoot revealed the horror of a recent training crash in which he fractured a vertebra in his neck, explaining that he was involved in a high-speed collision with the driver of a car.

Benuto was involved in the accident on Monday while training near Livigno in the Italian Alps. He released a statement from the hospital on Tuesday, admitting that he had broken a vertebra in his neck, but that it was "not life-threatening."

The Jumbo Visma rider told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws (opens in new tab) that he will need to wear a neck brace for the next 6 to 12 weeks. He disclosed the circumstances of the collision.

"I was going down a long straight. I wasn't going that fast. I was going about 67 km/h, I think. Suddenly, a car crossed the parking lot. I don't know if I didn't see it or if I thought I could pass it right away," Benoit said.

"It just went straight into it and I could barely hit the brakes. The car doors were dented, the mirrors were off, and the windows were broken."

Benoot was reportedly unconscious for 25 minutes before being airlifted to the hospital. Morphine was administered, but tests showed no serious internal bleeding.

He was also able to self-diagnose what, if any damage to his spine, would be of most immediate concern, risking motor impairment and paralysis.

"Fortunately, I was able to move my hands and feet on the spot. It was a relief," Benoot said.

"If it had been a few millimeters or even micrometers different, it could have been a different story. I will definitely be frustrated in the future when I see my colleagues racing, but I am actually very grateful and happy that I can still tell this story."

Benoot, who helped Jonas Vingegaard to Tour de France glory, will not race again this season as he recovers from injuries including a concussion, bruised ribs, and stitches from a broken piece of glass in his hip and elbow.

He will have to wear a neck brace for at least one month to allow his neck fractures to heal.

"According to the diagnosis I received in Italy, I will have to rest with this brace for 6 to 12 weeks," he said, adding that he will get a second opinion when he returns to Belgium.

"I'm still young, so hopefully I can take it off in six weeks.