Australian cycling star Jay Vine will not have to undergo surgery for the spinal injuries he suffered when he fell heavily in a terrible accident at the Itzulia Basque Country race.
His UAE Team Emirates medical director, Adrian Rotunno, said on Saturday that last year’s Tour Down Under winner would remain in hospital and wear a neck brace for up to six weeks.
After suffering what the team described as “a cervical fracture and two vertebral body fractures of the thoracic spine” in Thursday’s crash in northern Spain, there were initially fears the 28-year-old would need surgery.
“After reviewing the MRI and final clinical evaluation, fortunately Jay will not require surgery. The fractures are stable enough to not warrant surgical correction,” Rotunno said in a team statement.
“Jay will remain in hospital for the next few days to allow for continued observations and further recovery. He will be in a neck brace for up to six weeks, but will be able to begin general body rehabilitation starting next week.”
Vine appeared to have come off worst among the dozen who fell in the massive crash that left other luminaries seriously injured, including double Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard and double world champion Remco Evenepoel.
After the Canberra cyclist slipped at high speed while descending into a roadside cement ditch, he remained motionless while being treated and the television footage left his wife Bre, also a former cyclist, fearing the worst.
But he said Vine was a wrestler who would bounce back from a setback that could have completely ruined his 2024 Olympic hopes.
The crash left few with an appetite for the rest of the week-long race, but the show had to go on, with Spaniard Juan Ayuso taking overall victory on Saturday’s sixth and final stage around Eibar.
Ayuso, the rising star of Spanish cycling, started the stage just four seconds behind leader Mattias Skjelmose, but ended up winning by 42 seconds over stage winner Carlos Rodríguez.
The Danish Skjelmose completed the podium.
The leading Australian was 2022 Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley, who finished 12th, 3 minutes and 19 seconds behind Ayuso.
In the other big race of the day, the Paris-Roubaix Femmes Hell of the North on cobblestones was won by women’s world champion Lotte Kopecky, who won a sprint at the famous Roubaix velodrome against five rivals.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) was second, while Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) edged out the great Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) for third place.
Canyon/SRAM Racing’s Tiffany Cromwell was the first Australian to finish in 24th place.
The men’s race will take place on Sunday with Mathieu van der Poel looking to retain his title and achieve a golden double after winning the Tour of Flanders last week.
AAP
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