Lotto-Soudal's Kris Boeckmans is back on the road and preparing to return to racing in 2016 after a crash at the Vuelta a España left him in a coma
Two months after a crash at the Vuelta a España left him in an induced coma, Lotto-Soudal rider Kris Boeckmans is back on the road as he prepares to return for the 2016 season.
Boeckmans, 28, suffered severe facial trauma in the crash, with several fractures, concussion, broken ribs and bleeding on the lungs – injuries which kept him in a coma for nearly two weeks.
Having undergone eight hours of facial surgery and weeks of rest, the Belgian signed a new contract with Lotto-Soudal – reiterating his desires to get back into professional racing.
On Sunday, Boeckmans posted a picture of himself on Twitter out on his road bike with the hashtags #firsttime and #nevergiveup.
Such a nice indian summer. Happy to ride my bike again #firsttime #nevergiveup pic.twitter.com/YBQuFGWoQR
— Kris Boeckmans (@krisboeckmans) November 1, 2015
Before his crash on stage eight of the Vuelta, Boeckmans was enjoying a successful season with Lotto-Soudal, winning the Tour de Picardie and World Ports Classic stage races in consecutive weeks in May.
Boeckmans committed his next two seasons to the Belgian team, having signed a contract extension in October.