World cycling champion and Canberra woman Caroline Buchanan has been seriously injured in a car accident.

Buchanan detailed her injuries in an Instagram post with a photo of her lying in a hospital bed, wearing a neck brace and her face bloodied.

She said her lungs had collapsed and she had broken her sternum and nose.

“I wouldn’t say 2017 ended quite as planned,” the post began.

“It’s been a rough couple of days in ICU after a vehicle roll. I just moved to a private room and everything is moving in a positive direction.”

“Happy New Year! Off season just got a little more tough!”

Buchanan also posted an X-ray of her broken sternum late last night.

The 27-year-old cycling star had a successful 2017, having taken out second place at the BMX Championships in the USA in late July, just weeks before claiming a world title in the mountain bike four cross in Trentino, in Italy.

The Italy win marked her eighth world championship trophy.

She returned to Canberra shortly after for a break from the track.

Buchanan has sported a high-profile recently as the face of Canberra’s Capital Airport Group, fronting marketing campaigns for Canberra Airport’s new suburb, Denman Prospects.

– ABC