FOUR MONTHS AFTER CRASH AMY PIETERS GAINS CONSCIOUSNESS

Following four months in a coma after suffering brain damage in a crash, Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters has “consciousness now” her team SD Worx said on Thursday.

“The condition of Amy Pieters has changed. There is consciousness. This means that she can communicate slightly non-verbally. Amy recognizes people, understands what is being said.

“Doctors cannot yet say what residual symptoms and remaining abilities Amy Pieters will have as a result of the brain injury,” the team added.

Pieters fell at the end of December during a training camp in Calpe suffering severe brain damage. After emergency surgery in Alicante, she was taken back to a hospital in the Netherlands for rehabilitation.

“Since mid February Amy Pieters has been following a specialized intensive neurorehabilitation programme,” said the SD Worx statement

Pieters was a world champion both on the road, as part of the six-rider Dutch team winning the mixed relay in 2019, and on the track, where she won the Madison three times with Kirsten Wild.

RBA/AFP Photos: Bettini