Colombian cyclist Mauricio Soler awoke from surgery Tuesday in Spain able to recognize his wife, El Espectador announced.
The rider opened his eyes and greeted his wife in the recovery clinic at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, doctors were happy to report.
Soler was hospitalized June 16 following a crash at the Tour de Switzerland. He was riding in second place before his downhill collision, which left the cyclist with a bleeding brain, multiple fractures, and hermatomas.
The rider was released from the Intensive Care Unit in Switzerland July 8 and airlifted to Spain, where doctors felt the familiar language would help ease his recovery.
Doctors announced Tuesday that Soler was no longer in critical condition, meaning that they believe his life is not longer in danger.
Despite the progress in his general condition, the extent of Soler’s brain damage has not yet been determined.
Soler’s recognition of his family, however, is considered a good sign.