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Britain's Lizzie Deignan said she was “told to push through the pain” to regain mobility after breaking her arm.
The Riddle Trek rider suffered a serious crash during the Women's Tour of Flanders race in March.
“I've been told to work through some pain, especially with the injury,” Deignan said.
The 35-year-old returned to competitive cycling last year after taking a break in 2022 following the birth of her second child.
Furthermore, she added: “I have to push harder than necessary to straighten my arm to get full movement. I have a hard time knowing how much pain is appropriate.”
“So I'm just finding my limits in terms of fracture pain. I've never done anything like that before.”
After giving birth to daughter Aura in 2018, Deignan returned to the form that led to wins in the sport's biggest races, including La Course at the Tour de France and the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femme in 2021. That's what I'm aiming for.
She is in the final year of her contract with Trek, who started the season well with big wins for Deignan's Italian teammates Elisa Longo Borghini and Elisa Balsamo.
But Deignan herself will want to win races again after giving birth to her second child, Shea. This would be considered a major achievement in a highly physically demanding sport.
“I've come back from two pregnancies, so I know the process of getting healthy again. It's about being patient.
“I had never broken a bone in my life, so I didn't know what to expect. Luckily, my husband [ex-Team Sky rider Philip Deignan] Some broke. So he guided me,” she added.
And Deignan hopes she will be ready for the Women's British Tour, which resumes in June after being suspended last year due to funding issues. The tour is currently organized by British Cycling.
Former winner Deignan believes this race is not only special for him, but also an important moment to prove his fitness for this summer's Olympics in Paris.
“I've already been working hard in the garage on the Turbo, but the limiting factor is how to grip the brake lever and operate the gears. I still don't have the strength in my hands.
“The main problem is [now it is] It's Olympic selection time. I missed out on a good portion of the race that was peaking for selection. In reality, there is plenty of time to compete. [in Paris].
“But the selection has never been so difficult. So it's bad timing for me.”
