“I want to enjoy every moment" - Milan Vader back on the Top10 at Tour Down Under after recovering from life-threatening accident

Milan Vader suffered very serious injuries following a crash at Itzulia Basque Country last year, and placed in a coma for 12 days. 9 months after the Dutchman is back at the front of a cycling race, finishing in the Top10 of today's Tour Down Under stage.

“That was a difficult moment. The situation in the race was unclear at the time. Rohan was on my wheel and we were a small gap from the front riders. I tried to close that at a nice pace, but Rohan indicated that the light was really off with him," Vader said in a post-race interview. The Jumbo-Visma rider was protecting the team leader, but was given a green light towards the final climb.

“At my own pace I was able to overtake a lot of riders," he said, eventually managing to climb up to the main chasing group that sprinted behind the winning trio. "Once I joined the large group, I decided to sprint for the places of honor in the finish line," the former mountain-biker continued, having sprinted to a very important 8th spot.

Not only that, but as he sits 15th in the overall classification after today, he becomes the Dutch team's highest GC rider. However this results means much more than just a protected role within the team. “I want to enjoy every moment and I learn a little bit every day and make progress. That is very nice to experience and gives confidence for the rest of the season," he concluded.