Millar was cycling on Uppermill High Street, about six miles from the centre of Oldham to the east of Manchester, when, after swerving to avoid one pothole, she was thrown from her bike after colliding with an even larger one and knocked unconscious.

She suffered a broken jaw, cheek and fingers, and had several teeth knocked out.

A founding member of Team Sky, Millar is one of the highest profile women working on the world cycling pro tour and is also the sister of reigning Commonwealth time trial champion David.

Fran Millar pictured working on a Team Sky training camp in 2013 on the way to making a full recovery from her accident


Although she is now making a full recovery, Millar explained the implications of her collision and just how important road safety is for everyone travelling on two wheels.

"I feel extremely lucky to be back on my bike again with both my physical and mental scars healed or healing," she told BBC News.

"A crash like this happens so suddenly it can shake your entire confidence on the bike.

"Had I not hit the pothole caused by these roadworks I would have been forced out into the road into the path of motorists.

"Having safe roads benefits everyone."

The case is, however, just the latest example of cyclists experiencing problems and - with dwindling local council budgets reducing capabilities to repair roads - incidents like these are unlikely to disappear.

In April this year, a 72-year-old cyclist was killed after colliding with a pothole and being thrown over the handlebars of her bike in Monmouth, Wales.

This general problem was something alluded to by David Hibbert Oldham Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, who admitted in relation to the Millar case that "there is a national pothole funding crisis".

"Oldham is no different and on massively-reduced budgets we must assess and prioritise all potholes on the basis of risk," he added. 

This is also not the first case of a Team Sky associated figure coming a cropper on British roads after Bradley Wiggins and his coach Shane Sutton each also crashed in 2012.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, pictured after winning the Olympic time trial on the streets of London in 2012, is another prominent cycling figure to have crashed on British roads



Just months after his Tour de France and Olympic time trial victories in November 2012, Bradley collided with a van exiting a petrol station while on a training ride in Lancashire.

He suffered a number of broken ribs, as well as cuts and bruises.

Hours later one of the highest ranking Team Sky coaches Sutton suffered severe bruising and a bleed on the brain when struck by a car in an unrelated incident outside the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

Competitive cycling is undoubtedly experiencing a huge boost in popularity across Britain at all levels following events such as last months RideLondon Cycling Grand Prix on the streets of London and Surrey.