Nearly two months after he suffered three spinal fractures in a horrific crash at Itzulia Basque Country, UAE Emirates’ Jay Vine is now able to remove his neck brace and gently return to riding his bike outdoors.
The Australian was involved in the same brutal pileup as two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), and sustained a cervical and two thoracic spinal fractures.
Vine’s team issued an update on his condition from medical director Dr Adrian Rotunno on Wednesday morning.
"The interval CT scan shows adequate bone healing, so at this stage the neck brace can be removed," Rotunno said. "The spine is now stable enough to start with easy gentle outdoor rides with the aim of improving posture on the bike, and is key in preventing neuromuscular atrophy.
"This process is being very carefully controlled, and Jay still has several weeks of focused rehabilitation to achieve. But this is the first big step up he’s taken in 7 weeks, which is good from a mental and physical perspective for him."
Vine spent more than a week in hospital after the crash which also left the likes of Vingegaard and Evenepoel with severe fractures. The Australian had started the season in strong form and it was highly likely he would have ridden in support of Tadej Pogačar at the recent Giro d’Italia, which was won by the Slovenian.
After learning that his injuries would not require surgery, Vine shared a message on his own social media accounts. "Just can’t believe that I will still be able to walk and play with my kids one day," Vine said. "I’m tracking as well as can be expected, I have been able to walk around my room with the aid of a walker, and taking the first step was pretty emotional after what I've been through."
"It was pretty scary for a couple of days when we weren't sure if surgery or neurological problems might present themselves. Long road ahead for my recovery, but I am looking forward to getting the process rolling."
