Cyclist seriously hurt in Olympics crash gets back on the saddle

Only a week and a half after sustaining three spinal fractures and a concussion in a horrific crash at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten is back in the Netherlands and back on her bike.

Earlier this week Van Vleuten posted what she called an "easy townie ride" on Strava, a social network that tracks bike rides and runs. She managed a 22.3 kilometer ride between Ede and Wageningen and noted that hear head and back were "ok!"

On the last post on her website late last week, Van Vleuten wrote that she is ready to start her recovery back home. "I understand that my crash has made an impression on a lot of peopl, but now I want to draw a line under it and not constantly be reminded of the crash." she said before returning to the Netherlands on Friday. "That is why I have given several interviews in Rio today, but those are the last. I want to look ahead and when I look back it is on how I managed to excel in the Olympics."

She added that she was overwhelmed with the many reactions she got after the crash. "I want to thank everyone for all the sweet messages. That really pleased me a lot. I have read everything, but it is so much that it is not possible to thank everyone in person."