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De Wilde plans to ride again after neck fracture

published 15 April 2011

Veranda's Willems rider expected to leave hospital next week

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Sjef De Wilde (Veranda's Willems - Accent) is assisted by medics after a crash (Image credit: Sirotti)

Sjef De Wilde hopes to leave hospital next week, and is expected to spend six to eight weeks recovering from neck and spinal injuries suffered in a crash at the Scheldeprijs earlier this month. If all goes well, the Veranda's Willems-Accent rider may be able to race again in four months.

De Wilde's Scheldeprijs injuries less serious than first feared

De Wilde out of intensive care after Scheldeprijs crash

The 29-year old suffered two cracked neck vertebrae and one in his back.

"I remember nothing of the crash,” De Wilde said at a press conference Thursday from the hospital in Duffel, Belgium, according to the Belga news agency.

"After half a day I woke up and then I started to realize that I was very lucky, because it could have been much worse.”

He has, naturally, thought long and hard about his future. “"I've spent the past week wondering whether it would be better for me to stop, but I am an athlete and then you simply perform. So I hope to sign a new contract by the end of the year. Only if that is not the case will I stop cycling for good.”