McGregor (20) was involved in a nasty accident in Invercargill just over a week ago, but through his own strength and fitness, and a bit of luck, should be able to get back on the bike.
McGregor, who was lined up to race in the Tour of Southland early next month, dived into a hotel pool early last week in Invercargill.
But he thought the pool was a lot deeper than it was, and his head smacked on the bottom.
"I sort of got out and crawled into the spa and I can't remember much after that. I was in a lot of pain - I do know that," he said.
A friend took him to Invercargill Hospital and there he sat for most of the night, as a radiographers' strike meant he could not get an X-ray.
But he eventually got a CT scan and, after some consultation, was transferred to Dunedin Hospital in the middle of last week.
After a few days waiting for the bruising to go down, McGregor had an operation on Monday to fuse one vertebra, and then titanium plates to realign a couple of other vertebrae.
McGregor, recovering from the operation yesterday, admitted he was feeling pretty average, but it could have been a totally different scenario.
"The doctors reckoned if they [vertebrae] had moved another 3mm then I would have been in a wheelchair. So it could have been a lot worse.
"I feel lucky in a way and it will be a while before I get back into the water. They say I'll be able to be back on the bike within six weeks."
The Tour of Southland is out of reach but McGregor, who is due to get out of hospital this morning, will now set his focus on the national time trial championships in Christchurch in January.
He was in good form before the accident, winning the Twizel to Timaru race.
He has signed for a development team to race in Belgium next year, which he sees as a big opportunity to go to the next level with his cycling career.
