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Stig Broeckx emerges from coma six months after Tour of Belgium moto crash

Lotto Soudal rider no longer in vegetative state and is beginning to talk

Lotto-Soudal rider Stig Broeckx has emerged from the coma he has been in for six months since a crash involving two race motorbikes at the Tour of Belgium in May.

> Broeckx in coma after motos involved in crash at Tour of Belgium

The incident happened less than two months after another Belgian rider, Wanty-Gobert’s Antoine Demoitié, died after he was hit by a motorbike during Gent-Wevelgem.

> Cycling world pays tribute to Antoine Demoitié

In June, Lotto-Soudal said that the Broeckx was in a vegetative state and that the outlook was not hopeful.

But more recently, team manager Marc Sergeant revealed that the 26-year-old was starting to respond to stimuli.

Now, speaking to Sporza from the team’s training camp in Mallorca, team doctor Servaes Bingé said that Broeckx is no longer officially in a coma, and is even starting to put muscle back on.

“Stig is still not a healthy lad, but the progress is positive,” he said. “He sleeps a lot, but that’s because he works very hard. Sitting in a wheelchair, he will even cycle with a kind of step machine.

“The doctors cannot yet say how far his progress will go,” he went on. “But this is already much more than anyone could have imagined a while back. Clearly, it’s all needed a bit of time.”

The doctor added: "Stig is learning to swallow independently again, and to say small, simple words such as ‘tot morgen’ ['tomorrow'].” That’s encouraging and positive. He’s communicating verbally with his family, all at a very low level of course.

“He also recognises other riders. That communication is even possible is more positive than could be put into words.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Phil H | 7 years ago
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Great news, go Stig, go. laughlaughlaugh

When you get up & around you can smack the moto rider who put you there.  I hope he makes a full recovery. Lotto should wear a positive message for him, like F1 for Jules Bianchi

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DanielCoffey | 7 years ago
5 likes

That is brilliant news in so many ways. I am sure lots of us would like our good wishes passed to his team and fmaily.

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