A champion cyclist is set to stay in a coma for the coming days to help her recover from a horror crash while training in the south of Spain.
Dutch national road champion Amy Pieters was at a training camp in Alicante a couple of days before Christmas when she suffered head injuries in a fall.
She was knocked unconscious and was rushed to a local hospital by air ambulance where she underwent surgery to relieve a build-up of pressure on her brain.
The 30-year-old spent the Christmas weekend in a coma, with Dutch Cycling confirming her family had travelled to the hospital to be at her bedside.
Pieters is now set to stay in that medically-induced coma for at least three more days, though there is no telling the extent of any damage done until she wakes up.
"The doctors emphasise that extra rest at this stage gives a better chance of recovery," her SD Worx cycling team said in a statement.
Pieters enjoyed a strong 2021 in the saddle, winning the Dutch national road race as well as becoming the Madison world champion alongside fellow Dutch rider Kirsten Wild.
The call to keep her in the coma came after her doctors in Alicante consulted with other experts in the Netherlands on what the best course of action would be in terms of her care.
The SD Worx statement added: "Pieters was operated on her head in the hospital of Alicante on Thursday.
"During this operation the doctors took away the pressure in her head that had been caused by a fall during sprint training. Pieters was near Calpe on a training camp with the Dutch track team.
"The doctors will not be able to assess any damage until they have woken Pieters up.
"At the moment no further announcements can be made about the accident and we ask everyone to respect the privacy of those involved.
"Everyone at Team SD Worx is extremely upset and our thoughts are with Amy and her family."
Dutch Cycling confirmed aftercare was being offered to Pieters' colleagues on the training camp to help them come to terms with what had happened.
"Of course, our thoughts are with Amy and her loved ones at the moment," the governing body added.
