Stig Broeckx emerges from coma six months after Tour of Belgium moto crash

Lotto-Soudal rider Stig Broeckx has emerged from the coma he has been in for six months since a crash involving two race motorbikes at the Tour of Belgium in May.

> Broeckx in coma after motos involved in crash at Tour of Belgium

The incident happened less than two months after another Belgian rider, Wanty-Gobert’s Antoine Demoitié, died after he was hit by a motorbike during Gent-Wevelgem.

> Cycling world pays tribute to Antoine Demoitié

In June, Lotto-Soudal said that the Broeckx was in a vegetative state and that the outlook was not hopeful.

But more recently, team manager Marc Sergeant revealed that the 26-year-old was starting to respond to stimuli.

Now, speaking to Sporza from the team’s training camp in Mallorca, team doctor Servaes Bingé said that Broeckx is no longer officially in a coma, and is even starting to put muscle back on.

“Stig is still not a healthy lad, but the progress is positive,” he said. “He sleeps a lot, but that’s because he works very hard. Sitting in a wheelchair, he will even cycle with a kind of step machine.

“The doctors cannot yet say how far his progress will go,” he went on. “But this is already much more than anyone could have imagined a while back. Clearly, it’s all needed a bit of time.”

The doctor added: "Stig is learning to swallow independently again, and to say small, simple words such as ‘tot morgen’ ['tomorrow'].” That’s encouraging and positive. He’s communicating verbally with his family, all at a very low level of course.

“He also recognises other riders. That communication is even possible is more positive than could be put into words.”