Soler transferred to hospital in Spain

Mauricio Soler has been moved to a hospital in Spain after three weeks in the intensive care unit of the Hospital St. Gallen in Switzerland.  The Colombian suffered serious injuries in a crash of the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse last month.

The Movistar rider was placed in an induced coma, but has since been brought out of it by doctors.  However, this week a hospital spokesman said that while he is able to move his limbs and respond to simple commands, he is unable to speak, has difficulty swallowing and show signs of “serious cognitive deficits.”

On Saturday morning he was flown with a special medical aircraft and delivered to the Clinica Universitaria de Navarra, in Pamplona, his European home during the season.

The team had announced earlier this week that “It's going to be a long, slow process yet, so some weeks can go by with no major news.”