Ed Maas (Development Team Sunweb) was left paralyzed in both legs after colliding with a car entering the race course on the downhill of Piccolo Lombardia's Madonna del Ghisallo on October 6. The 19-year-old from Rotterdam, Netherlands, is still hospitalized at Milan's Hospital Niguarda, where he is conscious and receiving treatment for his injuries.

"Ed has now been diagnosed with a fracture in his back that has led to nerve paralysis in his legs. At this point, it is unlikely that he will regain function in his leg, but he has the strength and hope to fight."

Mars crashed on the descent of the Madonna del Ghisallo at the 126km mark of the 176km Piccolo Lombardia race. Maas and French rider Edouard Bonnefoy were trying to close the gap to the large group ahead of them on the descent of Madonna del Ghisallo when they collided with a car that had entered the course.

Maas was immediately taken to nearby Milan's Hospital Niguarda, where doctors administered sedatives to determine the extent of his injuries, which included fractures to his neck, back, and face. Mars underwent several successful surgeries before regaining consciousness two days ago.

"Ed is now fully conscious, has been awake for a couple of days, and is responding well to visits from family and teammates," said the team's medical update.

"Due to a broken back and facial injuries, he required several intensive surgeries last week, all of which were successful.

Team Sunweb released a medical update on Maas' condition at the request of Maas' family at Niguarda Hospital. Mars is being visited by family, friends, and teammates.

Bonnefoy said he believes that he was one of the few witnesses who saw Maas collide with a car on the track down the Madonna del Ghisallo.

In a post on Twitter, he wrote that he and Maas were chasing back to the pack on the downhill when a car entered the course from the right side and crossed the road. He speculated that the driver may have come out of a driveway and did not see the racers.

Bonnefoy estimated that they were going down the course at about 70 km/h when the car came out onto the course. Bonnefoy notes that he was able to just barely avoid being hit by the car, but that Maas was unable to avoid it.

Following the latest medical information announcing Maas' paralysis, Team Sunweb asked the UCI to prioritize team and rider safety in the race.19]

"We cannot write off this devastating tragedy, but we can ensure safe racing for the team and riders We reiterate our request to our governing body (the UCI) to prioritize all time and resources to ensure safe racing conditions for teams and riders."

"This week, the UCI has announced that the UCI will be holding its first ever World Championships in the United States.

"This week has been a very difficult week for the Team Sunweb family. We send them all our strength and prayers during this difficult time."