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.