Soler out of Intensive Care, starting to speak

Mauricio Soler is taking small but important steps in his recovery after the serious accident he suffered more than a month ago during Stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse.

The Colombian Movistar rider is still at the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra in Pamplona, to which he was transferred ten days ago from the Intensive Care Unit of the Kantonsspital in St. Gallen, where he had been since the day of the accident.

Since he was moved to Pamplona, Soler’s medical status has improved to the extent that he was able to leave the Intensive Care Unit on Tuesday evening and is now in a room on a general ward.

“His improvements are slow, but constant and positive,” said Movistar Team doctor Alfredo Zúñiga. “He already recognises the people from his environment and has started talking.

"You can have short conversations with him. He's still really tired, and that's normal due to the magnitude of the blow he suffered, but his progress is good, especially during this last week."

Soler is expected to spend a considerable period of time at the Navarran medical centre in what looks set to be a long and slow recovery process.