Luke Rowe is back in training after shattering his leg white-water rafting but it could be next summer before he can race again.

The Cardiff-born rider broke 20 bones in his right leg while on a stag-do for his brother Matt in the Czech Republic in August.

Rowe, who attended his brother’s wedding to fellow cyclist Dani King last weekend, suffered the injury after jumping onto a rock.

Determined to get back racing as soon as he can, the Team Sky rider is already using underwater treadmills and rowing machines.

“At the moment everything is healing well and there’s no need for more operations,” the 28-year-old told cyclingnews.com.

“It seems to be going really well but then I looked at the scans and I realised that the knee is still a mess.

“There are still some bones that need to heal but if you’d told me that I’d be at this point at the start of the operation, with this level of healing, I’d have taken it.”

Rowe, who helped Chris Froome win a fourth Tour de France crown last July, still has a metal rod holding his leg together after be broke his tibia and fibula.

Hopes of a return in time for the Classics season next Spring look difficult to achieve, with the summer a more realistic target.

“With this type of injury there’s no guarantees,” he added. “Each person is different.

“With the progress I’ve made so far it’s looking more and more likely that I’ll get back to 100 per cent.

“It’s going to be a long process but that’s okay, as long as I can get back to where I was.

“You think how amazing it would be to ride a Classic but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

“Maybe I’ll return around the Tour de France but everyone is different. One guy could return after six months, one guy could return after 18 months.”