Former mountain bike cross country world champion Jolanda Neff will be unable to compete for at least three months after a serious crash.

The 26-year-old Swiss star, who won the world title back in 2017, is still in the US but will return home to Switzerland next week to discuss with her doctor what her next move is.

The main concern centres around her spleen, which needs to managed incredibly carefully to avoid the need for an emergency operation.

She said: "I will not race again until after March. I fly back to Switzerland next week to make plans with the Swiss Olympic team doctor, Patrik Noack, on how to go forward. The more I rest, the faster I recover.

"My spleen is still in my body but it is dead. After the embolization where they plugged my artery to stop bleeding, there is no more blood flow in my spleen. It will remain in my body, but it is dead.

"The spleen is important for your immune system, but you can live without a functioning spleen. I have to be super careful now not to burst the plug in my artery. That would start internal bleeding and require emergency surgery."

Yet while the internal damage remains a serious concern to Heff, she is still confident she can recover quicker than is projected. 

"I cannot raise my blood pressure for next three months because I need to be very gentle with the artery plug," she added.

"The medical staffed advised three months of very little movement to make sure my blood pressure stays really low. Hopefully, as an athlete, I will be able to recover a little quicker and take up cycling in less than three months."