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Soler out of coma, may be moved to Spain

Juan Mauricio Soler (Movistar Team) wins stage 2 at the Tour de Suisse

Juan Mauricio Soler (Movistar Team) wins stage 2 at the Tour de Suisse (Image credit: Sirotti)

Mauricio Soler is no longer in a coma, and preparations are being made to move him out of the intensive care unit in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and into a hospital in Pamplona, Spain. However, the Colombian still has only “moments of lucidity”.

Soler crashed in the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse and was placed in an induced coma due to severe head injuries and lung trauma. He has been joined by his wife Patricia and her brother.

“His status is getting better very slowly, but he keeps taking small steps,” Movistar team doctor Alfredo Zúñiga said on the team's website. “He's not in a coma any more but is kept under high drowsiness. He spends most of the time asleep, but when he has moments of lucidity, he obeys easy orders.”

The extent of possible brain damage is still unknown. Examinations don't reveal any injury ”at the peripheral or medullar levels, but this something we can't rule out at the moment,” the doctor said.

"The lung problems are completely under control and he doesn't need artificial respiration, he breathes by himself. The rest of his injuries are also going through a positive progress. It's going to be a long, slow process yet, so some weeks can go by with no major news."