Victoria Williamson to be flown home after successful surgery following crash in Holland

Victoria Williamson is set to be flown home from Holland tomorrow following successful surgery on injuries she suffered in a crash during a race at the weekend.

The 22-year-old, originally from Hevingham, will be flown back to her home in Manchester via a medical evacuation – after suffering a fractured pelvis and vertebrae and a severe cut to her right side during a sprint heat at the Rotterdam Six-Day event on Saturday night.

Williamson's father, Mark, said: 'We just want to thank our friends and family for the support, and for all the texts and messages on Twitter from all over the world, it's been unbelievable.'

Williamson suffered her injuries in a collision with Dutch rival Elis Ligtlee, with racing at Rotterdam's Zesdaagse cancelled and spectators asked to leave the velodrome following the crash.

Williamson now faces a lengthy recuperation period, with her father adding it was too early to say if the former Norwich High School for Girls pupil would be fit for selection for the Olympics, which begin in Rio in August.

'She's made of tough stuff and the long-term prognosis health-wise is good but we are talking about a long, long road to recovery,' Mr Williamson added.

The Olympic hopeful won silver in the team sprint and bronze in the individual sprint at the UEC Under-23 and Junior European Track Championships in Athens last July.

She was also part of the British team which won bronze in the team sprint at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk in 2013.