Still recovering in hospital in Venlo some fifteen days after being injured in the massive pileup on stage six of the Tour, Vacansoleil DCM rider Wout Poels remains unsure about the long-term damage to his body as a result of the crash.
The Dutchman risked losing a kidney because of the impact of his fall, which happened when a Lampre rider was unable to brake in time due to putting shoecovers in his back pocket. He suffered a ruptured kidney and spleen, a bruised lung and three broken ribs. He was first taken to the military hospital in Metz and then later transferred to a hospital in Nancy, then to one in Venlo in the Netherlands.
He’s out of intensive care, but still receiving treatment in the hospital. According to Telesport, his team has said that the period between three weeks and three months after the crash is the most crucial team as that this will determine if his kidney will full recover or if it will remain limited in its functioning.
It seems almost certain that his season is over, dashing his plans of contending for a world championships to be held on home soil. Poels will instead hope to return to full strength in 2013.
He was second on two stages of last year’s Vuelta a España. This year he took a stage and the best young rider classification in the Tour of Luxembourg, as well as finishing second overall in the race.