Long road to recovery for Taylor Phinney

Taylor Phinney - remember him?

It's a long road back from injury for Taylor Phinney (Getty Images)

You may not have heard about the talented 24-year-old BMC rider recently as he has been sidelined from racing due to injury for nearly a year.

Phinney crashed on the descent of Lookout Mountain in Tennessee during the USA National Championships in May 2014. He broke his tibia and patella on his left leg and ruptured the tendon on his knee.

Since then he has undergone an intense rehabiltation program.

BMC Racing general manager Jim Ochowicz told VeloNews that the team is hopeful that Phinney may return to racing before the end of the Northern Hemisphere summer.

“We’re not putting a date or a number on (a comeback), but he continues to make progress,” Ochowicz told VeloNews.

“According to the trainers, he’s able to put out more watts, more hours on the bike. He’s on the road, not on the turbo-trainer. We’re hopeful if he continues the way he’s going, we’ll see him racing before the end of summer.”

With such a complicated and serious injury it remains to be seen if Phinney, a former under 23 time trial world champion, will be able to return to his top form.

“Nobody’s made that (possible retirement) official. Those are just rumors," said Ochowicz. "In the end, it will be up to him, and how does he feel about his progress. About his ability to be able to race at this level."

Meanwhile Phinney has been building his strength in the Colorado mountains with Australia's Joe Lewis for company.