Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen has said he will undergo reconstructive surgery next week to fix his jaw two months after a horrific crash at the Tour of Poland.
The Deceuninck-Quick Step team member was put in a medically induced coma after a collision with compatriot Dylan Groenewegen as they sprinted to the finish on the first stage of the race.
The 24-year-old, who was pitched into barriers and crashed into a race official, was operated on for five hours after the accident.
“First of all, I had to recover from my brain contusion and other bruises/injuries for a long time,” Jakobsen said on Twitter. “The wounds/scars on my face are healing up well.
“On Oct. 8, I will undergo a second surgery to reconstruct my face/mouth … The surgery involves placing bone, taken from my pelvic crest, in my upper and lower jaw, because a lot of bone is missing there.
“This bone will have to heal for several months. After that, another surgery will take place to put implants in my jaw so that I can get new teeth, as I lost them during my crash.”
Jakobsen had previously said he feared for his life and that his time in intensive care was a “difficult, dark period.”
After Jakobsen’s crash, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said it would study all crashes that occur in the 2021 international calendar and take steps to improve rider safety.
U.S. cyclist Chloe Dygert was released from a Bologna hospital on Thursday and will return home a week after suffering a severe leg injury in a crash in the time trial race at the world championships.
Dygert, the 2019 time trial world champion, had looked well on her way to defending her crown when she crashed during a fast descent on the 31.7 km course last Thursday in Imola, Italy.
The 23-year-old 10-times world champion suffered a deep gash above her left knee.
After being treated on the scene she was transported to one of the largest trauma centres in Italy where she underwent surgery on the laceration.
“It’s been a rough few days and I’m ready to return home now to begin my recovery,” said Dygert in statement posted by USA Cycling. “I want to say thank you for the incredible care I’ve been given here in Italy and all the kind wishes I’ve received.”