Kirchen had been in an induced coma since collapsing on Friday evening in at the Tour de Suisse. His heart is said to have stopped, and he was revived by team doctor Andrei Mikhailov.
According to the statement issued by the Katusha team, Kirchen immediately recognised his wife and his father, and he asked what had happened because he couldn’t remember anything of the moment he collapsed.
The Russian team revealed that Kirchen is not suffering any major heart or lung damage. However he will continue to undergo tests to ascertain the cause of his problems.
He is being treated in a hospital in Zurich and it is not yet know when he will be able to return home to Luxembourg.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
