Tadej Pogačar's agent Johnny Carera hospitalised after serious car crash

Johnny Carera, the agent of Tadej Pogačar and Vincenzo Nibali, has been hospitalised with broken ribs and a punctured lung after he was involved in a serious traffic accident near Milan on Friday night. 

The Swiss agent was returning home from a Fan Club party of pro rider Alessandro Covi when a lorry travelling the wrong way down the A4 motorway at Argate Brianza near Milan collided with him. 

The serious collision left Carera trapped in him car until emergency services managed to free him, before being taken to hospital with multiple injuries. 

He remains in intensive care following the incident, while the lorry driver didn't suffer any obvious injuries. However, he reportedly showed signs of alcohol abuse. 

Johnny's brother Alex, who joint-manages the A&J All Sports agency, told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Johnny spent the night in stable conditions, and this is considered a positive aspect by the doctors. It hasn't gotten worse. The main problem remains the condition of the left lung, which collapsed due to the impact and shows an important blood bag. 

"Johnny cannot breathe on his own, and right now there is nothing to do but wait. The chest has very heavy injuries, there are fractures of numerous ribs and of the left collarbone, and due to his condition my brother cannot now be operated on, the situation is too critical.

"In the meantime, good news comes from the brain and heart tests, which went well. The two organs were not affected by the very violent deceleration of the impact."

The A&J All Sports agency also represent a number of top Italian riders, including Fausto Masnada, Giulio Ciccone and Niccolo Bonifazio, among others.

The riders competing in the Monte Carlo Criterium of Champions charity race sent a video of encouragement to Johnny, which included the winner Pogačar, Davide Formolo and others. Vicenzo Nibali also offered the Carera brothers assistance with their business, acting as a special secretary to help with deal with the incident.