Wout Poels leaves the Tour de France in an ambulance on stage six with serious injuries(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)(Image credit: Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team)
Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) crashed heavily on stage 6 and would be forced to abandon.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Wout Poels chose a standard road bike for the prologue at Tour of Luxembourg(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Wout Poels takes the win ahead of Jakob Fugslang in stage 3 at Tour of Luxembourg(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Woet Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) in the prologue at the Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) is taken to hospital after crashing out of stage 6.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
It’s been almost three weeks since Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) left the Tour de France after a dramatic crash on stage six from Épernay to Metz. Poels was one of many who went down that day but unlike many others, he was not able to continue. He abandoned the race and left in an ambulance.
Poels’ injuries were serious and he was kept in intensive care following his ruptured kidney and spleen, a bruised lung and three broken ribs. He was in taken to a military hospital in Metz where he remained until he was stable enough to return to the Netherlands.
He still has a long way to go before he is fully recovered but the Dutchman is now finally at home where he can continue his treatment and rehabilitation.
"My tour lasted 2days longer! Finally home... Still a long way to go but bit by bit is the right direction... # home sweet home," he wrote on Twitter.
His exact recovery time is not yet known but considering the severity of his injuries, it could be a while before we see Poels back in the peloton. Poels was considered one of the contenders for the young rider classification, won by Tejay Van Garderen (BMC), at this year's Tour.
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