Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) is making further steps in his recovery from the spinal injuries sustained in a high-speed crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, with the rider training with the team at altitude and getting set to resume racing before long.
The 28-year-old Australian was initially cleared to begin riding outside at the end of May, but initially just uphill, though Vine said in an update on Instagram that his recovery and training has now progressed considerably.
"Obviously recovery processes are never linear and we’ve needed to adapt at times, but the team has been all over it," said Vine in a post. "I’m feeling more and more like myself, and most importantly having fun on the bike again. I’m currently up at altitude camp with the team and the other fellas getting some quality training sessions done."
Vine started the 2024 season at the UAE Tour, skipping the Australian summer season due to his focus on European goals with both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España on the schedule. The severity of the crash on stage 4 of the race, which caused multiple fractures in his vertebrae, threw all those plans into question.
He first had to spend around seven weeks in a neck brace and ease back into riding with the uphill training, though around a month ago he took another step.
"It’s been 4 and a bit weeks since the doctors gave me the thumbs up to start riding descents again," said Vine. "Safe to say I’m enjoying being back on the bike and doing normal training sessions again + saving all that fuel going up and down the mountains."
The Australian joined the professional peloton via the Zwift Academy in 2021 and is now locked in with UAE Team Emirates through to the end of 2027. No firm race return plans were shared but it is clear that Vine is getting closer to that next step.
"No I don’t have any race plans currently, and honestly we are taking it day by day/week by week but looking forward to pinning on a number again very soon," said Vine.
