Baroncini out of induced coma following facial surgery
After a horrific crash back at the Tour de Pologne, UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Filippo Baroncini was placed in an induced coma after suffering significant facial and spinal injuries. Now just over two weeks on from the incident, Baroncini is making positive progress on his road to recovery.
Baroncini was involved in a serious crash during stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne, which saw the race neutralised. The Italian sustained facial injuries as well as fractured cervical vertebra and a broken collarbone.
Baroncini was placed in an induced coma in hospital in Poland in order to aid his recovery, and he remained in that state when he was transported to Milan's Niguarda hospital two weeks ago.
That same day, his UAE teammate Brandon McNulty won the general classification of the Tour de Pologne. "We've been riding with him [in mind] all week and today it was really nice to get a win for him," McNulty said. "We've all been thinking of him a lot since he left."
After having surgery on his collarbone in Poland, Baroncini was transferred to Milan to undergo spinal surgery. That was then then followed by maxillofacial surgery, which was a complex 11-hour surgery according to team manager Mauro Gianetti.
“What happened to him was not just a simple fall, we can say that now,” Gianetti told Tuttobici. “The worst is behind him and Filippo has an incredible character. He is surprising us with how he is dealing with this delicate moment.”
Maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the mouth, head and neck, and jaws, as well as facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.
In the forthcoming days, Baroncini will be transferred out of the intensive care unit to another unit in the hospital as he continues his road to recovery.
Baroncini, won the Baloise Belgium Tour back in June ahead of Ethan Hayter and is a former under-23 world champion from the 2021 World Championships.
