Italian rider Claudia Cretti is in a coma after her head hit a crash barrier when she crashed at 90 kilometres an hour on a descent during yesterday’s Stage 7 of the Giro Rosa.
In a statement, the 21-year-old’s team said that there are fears that she may have sustained permanent brain damage as a result of the crash.
The rider, who comes from Bergamo in Lombardy, was taken to hospital in Benevento near Naples and was transferred to a specialist neurosurgical unit once doctors realised the seriousness of her condition.
After she underwent surgery yesterday evening, her team said: “Claudia’s condition now is very serious and her prognosis is confidential, however it is feared she has brain damage.”
At lunchtime today, the team published on its Facebook page a medical update received from the hospital where she is being treated.
The statement said that her injuries included a “severe cranial trauma” resulting in multiple bruises and haematomas on her brain.
Her condition was described as “critical but stable,” with the hospital adding that measures to prevent her sustaining further brain damage had been implemented including placing her in a pharmacological coma and an induced state of hypothermia.
Among those sending messages of support on Twitter to Cretti was Fabio Aru, currently third overall and leading the mountains classification at the Tour de France, who wrote: “come on Claudia, don’t give up!”
Hope I have some heavy duty luck to match the heavy duty chain
I you sure it says that? I think you'll find it says "If you are dazzled by bright sunlight, drive on the wrong side of the road, taking care to...
So is that the red one, or the silver one with the "EPO" plate - although, I'm guessing the silver one might be a traveller.
I have no problems braking on my loaded touring bike with cantilevers... And always have the latest and newest wheels- because you have to!
I look at the kit and bike photos and rapidly come to the conclusion that I am not in Palace's target demographic.
Meanwhile Surrey cops go round with their unmarked car and their twitter page is full of drivers pulled over with no insurance, ved, mot...
Normal, or nomalised? A lot of horrendoulsy bad driving habits are normalised.
Think Tony will get the update later on this evening as I'm at work.
I could never get a light source like that to work on the front....
Dontated. That's just awful.