Jay Vine has been cleared to begin cycling outdoors as part of his recovery from spinal injuries sustained in a high-speed crash seven weeks ago at the Itzulia Basque Country.
According to Doctor Adrian Rotunno, Medical Director at UAE Team Emirates, doctors removed Vine's neck brace after scans showed that his bones had healed enough to begin 'gentle outdoor rides'.
"The interval CT scan shows adequate bone healing, so at this stage, the neck brace can be removed. The spine is now stable enough to start with easy gentle outdoor rides with the aim of improving posture on the bike, and is key in preventing neuromuscular atrophy," Rotunno said.
"This process is being very carefully controlled, and Jay still has several weeks of focused rehabilitation to achieve. But this is the first big step up he’s taken in seven weeks, which is good from a mental and physical perspective for him."
Vine was involved in a serious, high-speed crash that happened on the descent off of stage 4's Olaeta mountain, with about 36km to go in the race.
The crash affected at least 10 riders, including Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).
At the time of the crash, UAE Team Emirates confirmed in a medical update that Vine had suffered multiple fractures in his vertebrae, including a cervical and two thoracic spine vertebral body fractures, but that he would not require surgical treatment.
He remained in the hospital for neurological observation for nine days, which later confirmed that his spinal injuries were stable. At that time, the medical team said that he would need to wear a neck brace for six weeks but that he could begin general body rehab the week following the incident.
UAE Team Emirates has not confirmed when Vine will be recovered enough to begin racing again.
