Julian Mertens wakes up from coma: "He was able to briefly talk with his loved ones"

Julian Mertens' condition is moving in the right direction. On Wednesday, the Bingoal WB rider was the victim of a serious traffic accident, after which he was kept in an artificial coma. But today, Mertens woke up again.

Julian Mertens was training on his time trial bike on Wednesday when he ended up under a parked trailer. He was rushed to hospital, where he has been kept in an induced coma ever since.

Mertens immediately underwent surgery on his spine and jaw on Thursday. He also suffered several other fractures.

On Saturday morning, the doctors let him wake up peacefully. "He was taken off the ventilator and was able to talk briefly with his loved ones," says his team Bingoal-WB. "The long healing process can now begin."