Jay Vine: Return to Racing After Kangaroo Crash & Wrist Surgery | Volta a Catalunya Update

Jay Vine returned to competitive cycling this week at the Volta a Catalunya, marking his first race appearance eight weeks after a collision with a kangaroo during the Tour Down Under in January. The incident, which occurred on the final stage of the Australian race, resulted in a broken scaphoid and initially threatened a lengthy recovery period.

The crash, captured by television cameras and quickly circulating online, involved Vine colliding with a kangaroo that unexpectedly entered the peloton. While Vine managed to finish the stage and secure his second career general classification title at the Tour Down Under, the severity of his wrist injury became apparent afterward. “Everyone knows by now. A kangaroo jumped into the peloton, causing half the peloton to hit the ground. It made news worldwide, but it would be nice if the sport were known for something other than a kangaroo jumping in front of the riders. It is what it is,” Vine told Sporza following a second day of racing in Spain.

Surgery to repair the fractured scaphoid was performed in Australia immediately after the Tour Down Under concluded. Initial estimates suggested a rehabilitation period of nine to twelve months, potentially jeopardizing his participation in major races later in the season. However, Vine has made significant progress in his recovery, beginning road training just two weeks ago.

Despite the accelerated return, Vine acknowledged he is not yet at peak competitive form. “Still a lot of progression needs to happen with the wrist in regards to pain management but we have come a long way in the last four weeks since hitting the roads again,” he posted on Instagram on Monday. He finished both opening stages of the Volta a Catalunya within the main peloton, focusing on supporting his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, João Almeida and Brandon McNulty.

“It would be nice to get a result, but I don’t think I’m at the level to compete with these guys yet. We have João [Almeida] and Brandon [McNulty] who are doing very well. The goal is to support them,” Vine stated.

The Tour Down Under was also marked by injuries to other members of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad. Jhonatan Narváez sustained several thoracic vertebrae fractures in a separate crash on stage 4 and remains in recovery. Mikkel Bjerg was also involved in the kangaroo-induced crash and has not raced since.

Vine is now scheduled to participate in a training camp in Spain following the Volta a Catalunya, as he prepares for a potential appearance at the Giro d’Italia, which begins on May 8. He has specifically highlighted the stage 10 individual time trial as a key objective, describing it as “on my bucket list.”

Also returning to racing at the Volta a Catalunya was teammate Filippo Baroncini, who is recovering from a severe crash during the 2025 Tour de Pologne. Baroncini finished both stages in chase groups, well behind the leading contenders, Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).