Bermuda cyclist Kaden Hopkins is back in the saddle with two more screws inserted into his collarbone.

After a crash during the time-trial in the Tour of Guadeloupe last month, surgeons were forced to remove a steel plate and five screws that had been put in following a fall earlier this year and replace it with a different plate seven screws.

The surgery took place in Spain about 48 hours after the heavy fall and after going under the knife for the second time in a matter of months, Hopkins feels this operation went better than the first.

“They basically had to redo the first operation as the plate was bent but luckily the screws did not come out of bone, so it was stable and I was able to travel back from Guadeloupe,” Hopkins said.

“I basically got off the aeroplane and went straight to hospital for X-rays and blood tests. I went home for the night and a day later got the operation, which involved taking out the old plate and resetting the bone.

“But this time they also used some artificial bone to accelerate healing, a longer plate and seven screws instead of five.”

Hopkins has found recovery and rehabilitation far less painful and quicker this time around and was back on his training bike within a couple of days and back on the road within a fortnight.

“I feel as if the surgery went so much better this time.” Hopkins said.

“Last time I was on painkillers for weeks, but this time I did not need to take any and I was completely pain free post-op. It has been a ridiculously fast recovery and far less work was needed to regain mobility.

“Last time when I first got back on the road, I could only handle an hour a day on the bike. But this time I have been riding around for hours. My physio said only to do what felt comfortable but that has meant I have been able to get in the hours.

“I felt no discomfort, no need to guard the shoulder like I did last time and my return is probably something like ten days ahead of schedule.”

Injuries have undoubtedly taken a toll on Hopkins’s season but he is well aware that things could be so much worse, with 19-year-old British rider Finlay Tarling killed during a stage in the Tour of Portugal last week.

“Considering the sport we do and the issues with crashes, I've been fortunate to not have broken anything before,” Hopkins said.

“So this year it just seems like all of my good luck has been reversed, but I am still incredibly lucky. What happened to Finlay is devastating and a number of professional cyclists have died on the roads while training and racing in recent years.

“I have seen all of that up close and I also know about all the injuries that take place and never make it to mainstream media. It makes me realise how lucky I am and I know that things could always be worse.”

While Hopkins has yet to sign on the dotted line to renew his contract with Atom 6 Bikes for another year, he has been given assurances by the team leadership that he is still wanted.

“I have spoken to the team and they are putting no pressure on me to make a quick return and they want me to come back next year.

“I haven’t signed a contract yet but they are telling me to prepare for the world championships and Caribbean Championships. We are about five weeks away from the worlds and Bermuda is still to confirm the final selection.

“But I’m hoping to make the cut, I’m still motivated to compete and I’m hoping to finish the season well.”