Mark Cavendish said his crash at the Ghent Six and resulting injuries will disrupt the start of the 2022 season, but said he hopes to be back on the bike within a few weeks.

The Manxman, who crashed last week on the final night of the famous circuit event and suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung, discussed the crash and its aftermath in an interview Saturday.

In an interview with The Sun, he said that his first instinct after hitting the deck was to get up to show the children who were there that he was safe. He added that he wanted to return to training immediately.

"When I fell, I knew I was damaged and in bad shape. That scared me. But the kids were there, so instinctively I tried to get back up." I walked back to the cabin where I was staying at the velodrome, and after they were gone, I was taken to the hospital on a stretcher."

"As a professional athlete, ...... I'm used to broken bones and a fast recovery of my lungs. The season may be delayed a bit and I will be in pain for a while, but I heal well, so it won't be too bad."

Cavendish, whose contract negotiations with Quick Step are on hold after this crash, crashed in the final round of the Ghent Six in Madison last Sunday night when a rider hit water on the track. He had nowhere to go as the rider in front of him crashed first.

He was taken to a hospital in Ghent where he spent the night in the ICU and recuperated for several days until his wife Peta came to pick him up on Thursday and take him back to England.

"It was an unintentional accident caused by water on the track after a rider spilled a drink. A wheel slipped in front of him, which set off a chain reaction that caused him to crash."

"He landed on his bike and suffered lacerations and a hole in his lung. That hole was behind my heart, which doesn't show up on X-rays, which complicates things and makes it harder to monitor.

Cavendish also discussed his future plans, saying he hopes to continue winning and competing for as long as possible. However, he did not mention the number of victories he would like to achieve, including a win at the Tour de France to surpass Eddy Merckx for the all-time stage win record.

"My goal is to win as many as I can, for as long as I can. I don't have a specific number I want to reach."

"My family has been behind me in my career for too long, so first and foremost I do what is best for them.

"But as far as what to do next, I have options and desires. Being a cyclist is not lucky. But I'm lucky to be able to ride a bike every day and do what I love to do, and I'm lucky to be in a position to choose what I want to do next in my career."