Deceuninck-QuickStep has issued an update on the condition of its Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen after his horrific crash today at the end of the opening stage of the Tour de Pologne.
Local media in Poland has also reported the young rider
has a litany of serious injuries, including to his head, adding his condition
was critical.
"Fabio Jakobsen’s situation is serious but at the
moment he is stable,” Deceuninck-QuickStep said in a statement issued late on
Wednesday night.
“Diagnostic tests didn’t reveal brain or spinal injury,
but because of the gravity of his multiple injuries, he is still kept in a
comatose condition and has to remain closely monitored in the following days at
the Wojewódzki Szpital in Katowice.
“Further information will be made available in the course of the coming hours. Meanwhile, we would like to thank you for your heartwarming support."
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On Thursday morning the team added Jakobsen had undergone surgery on his face.
"Fabio Jakobsen had facial surgery during the night. His situation is stable at the moment and later today the doctors will try to wake Fabio up," it said.
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Jakobsen also hit a race official who was standing behind the barriers. That man, who appeared to be in his 60s, had regained consciousness on Wednesday night and was in a stable condition.
According to reports in Poland the race doctor gave an interview there on Wednesday evening and said 23-year-old Jakobsen had suffered head trauma and crush injuries to his head and face as well as losing a significant amount.
Dr Barbara Jerschina said he
had suffered “very serious craniocerebral
trauma and a broken palate”. Craniocerebral trauma relates to the main part of
the skull that holds a person’s brain.
“This cyclist is very
seriously injured and is life threatening,” Dr Jerschina told reporters, with
the Polish media saying she was visibly upset.
“The palate and the upper
respiratory tract were crushed, but he managed to intubate, he went to the
hospital, but lost a lot of blood. He is alive after all, he is with us and
let's hope we win.”
She added while conditions
at the crash site were hard to work in, the rescue went very well and the
treatment required was on hand immediately, with Jacobsen unconscious after the
crash.
Jacobsen was expected to
undergo surgery tomorrow depending on his condition remaining stable. And while
those surgeries would address injuries to the skull – at the crown of the head and
face – no damage had been detected to the brain or spine, though that situation
would be monitored.
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