ISLAND cycling star Jonny Bellis returned to the Island for the first time in eight months in March after sustaining serious head injuries in a scooter accident.
The cyclist from Tromode was involved in the accident, which left him in a coma, in September 2009 in Italy.
Jonny spent the six months following the accident recovering in hospitals in Florence and London.
A metal plate was inserted into the left side of his skull to give added strength and both his cheekbones and his nose were broken.
Fellow cyclist Mark Cavendish was described as "fantastic" by Jonny who said: "He visited me on numerous occasions in Italy and also called to see me in London a couple of times. He phones me regularly to see how I'm doing."
He continued: "It's been a long six months for everyone involved. I underwent numerous operations and spent time in four different hospitals but it's nice to be almost back to normal again."
Jonny cited his intentions to return to competitive cycling after a half a year out and said he was hopeful to enter the Road Cycling World Championships in September or the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Update: Jonny Bellis missed out on a chance to represent the Isle of Man at the Commonwealth Games due to a hernia.
