Ian Crane is recovering in St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood from a harrowing crash through the rear window of a team car in the final stage of the USA Pro Challenge, pleased with small signs of progress.
He hopes to one day return to professional cycling.
On Tuesday, though, his goals were more modest: Eat soft-serve ice cream, wash his hair, write a witty tweet and, finally, go outside to do breathing exercises.
“I haven’t been very productive since crashing twice at USA Pro Challenge last week,” Crane, 24, tweeted on Tuesday, his first public remarks since the crash, which left him with brain trauma, a broken scapula and numerous facial lacerations that required reconstructive plastic surgery a week ago. The message included a photo listing those goals.
His litany of injuries were detailed in an Aug. 26 online update from his sister, Tela Crane, who is acting as the family’s spokeswoman. He left the hospital’s intensive care unit Friday, she said.
Ian Crane, who rides for American team Jamis-Hagens Berman, remains in a neck brace and requires a feeding tube. He was sedated after being airlifted from the crash scene to the hospital to minimize the brain trauma, and he had needed a breathing tube until a week ago.
“We were able to spend a few minutes outside and it was an awesome change of scenery for him,” Tela Crane wrote in her latest update, on Monday. “He is anxiously awaiting the go-ahead from the doctor who did his facial surgery to be able to eat and drink.”
In Stage 7 of the Pro Challenge, from Boulder to Denver, Crane was working to catch up to the main group of riders along Colorado State Highway 93 after a small crash — from which he suffered road rash — that required him to change bikes. While riding through the caravan, a group of team cars he was tailing came to an abrupt stop, and he careened through the rear window of a Team Cannondale car.
“Ian has a long road ahead of him with rehab and there will be additional plastic surgeries required to repair the damage to his face,” Tela Crane wrote last week, “but the progress he has already made has been way ahead of schedule.”
Daniel Petty: 303-954-1081, dpetty@denverpost.com or twitter.com/danielpetty
