Takeyesterday
Caudell remembers none of his crash and waits for a flight clearance
Ezra Caudell posted his first social media message since his crash, and says he remembers none of the August 30 crash at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. His account of the moment comes second-hand, from another rider who tried to bridge across with him. He left rehabilitation on Saturday and expects to wait until early December for clearance to fly.
What this means
Caudell, 20, is out of hospital and out of rehabilitation, and his treatment continues as outpatient care in Georgia. A GoFundMe set up by friends had raised $90,657 of its $100,000 goal as of October 7.
In his own words, Caudell doesn't remember «anything about the actual crash personally, because I hit my head real good and don't have much memory of that day entirely». His first memory is from a couple of weeks after it. What he knows of the crash is that he looked back toward the peloton, hit a manhole cover or a curb, lost control, and his left side struck a light pole. Milan Menten of Lotto-Intermarché, who was trying to bridge with him on Kelly Drive, described a curb or drain cover, a front wheel that snapped and a lamppost. His injury list includes a Grade 3 DAI brain injury, multiple neck fractures and a spinal cord injury. The breathing tube inserted in the ambulance stayed in until September 9. His humour survived the account: «Moral of the story is poles fight pretty good when you hit em!»
Sources
American Cyclist Ezra Caudell Opens Up for First Time About Horror Crash'Genuine reason for hope' for Ezra Caudell's recovery as team gives update on Philadelphia Cycling Classic crash injuriesUS racer Ezra Caudell leaves hospital, makes 'remarkable' recovery progress 31 days after being left in critical condition by crash at Philadelphia Cycling Classic
Analysed 3 sources, written and summarised with AI · How we work