Severe crashes and injuries are part of cycling. How Tadej Pogacar and Florian Lipowitz handle breaks shows what really matters when it comes to healing.
A sudden crash due to gravel, a bump in the road or a lapse in concentration – in cycling, the asphalt is often unforgiving. What recreational athletes usually do instinctively wrong when injured, the pros are currently doing exactly right: dealing with severe setbacks requires patience instead of false ambition. The recent events surrounding cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar and German pro Florian Lipowitz offer valuable lessons for anyone who wants to get back on the bike after an accident.
According to reports from media outlets such as the BBC and Cyclingnews, five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar was hit hard at the Vuelta a Espana. The 27-year-old Slovenian crashed out of a dominant leading position on the eighth stage. The diagnosis was severe: a complicated collarbone fracture that had to be operated on with plates and pins, a concussion, a stable cervical vertebra fracture (C7) as well as extensive road rash. Although the World Championships in Montreal were just around the corner, his team UAE Team Emirates-XRG, together with the rider, pulled the plug: the 2026 season is over for him prematurely.
The most important lesson here is provided by the team's medical director, Dr Adrian Rotunno. He made it clear that there is no point in rushing the healing process just to meet a specific race date. By the team not setting a timeline for his return, all pressure is taken off Pogacar. He can focus entirely on rehabilitation. Pogacar himself also emphasised that the most important thing now is to give the body the necessary time.
How the way back into the saddle can look is shown by the example of Florian Lipowitz from Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. The 25-year-old crashed heavily at the Tour de France and also suffered a fractured collarbone. After a seven-week break from racing, he is now returning to the peloton at the Italian autumn classics.
According to team coach John Wakefield, a comeback after an injury is by no means about returning to the old training volume as quickly as possible. Rather, load tolerance and performance capacity must be built up in parallel. Lipowitz is not using the first races to get results, but to test how his body reacts to the extreme demands. Every step back is evaluated based on physical feedback – not on a rigid date in the calendar.
Not every crash ends with broken bones. Much more common is so-called "road rash" – extensive abrasions on the hip, knee or elbow. The magazine tri-mag.de points out that treatment methods in athletic circles are often outdated. The principle of "letting air get to it and letting it dry-heal", which was preached for decades, is considered obsolete in modern medicine.
Abrasions where the upper layers of skin have been scraped off heal significantly faster in a moist wound environment. By using moist wound dressings and suitable ointments, the healing time can be cut in half compared to dry scab formation. In addition, the risk of scarring is greatly reduced. For deep wounds where fatty tissue or muscle is visible (grade three), a visit to the doctor is essential, however.
If you have injured yourself, you should take the pros as a role model – not because of their extreme ambition, but because of their professionalism in dealing with breaks. Accept that the body needs time to heal tissue and bones. Do not put yourself under pressure by keeping an eye on a specific event for which you are not actually fit yet. Rebuilding after a break must be done gradually: first test your load tolerance in everyday life and during easy spinning before bringing intensity back into your training. In the case of severe injuries such as concussions or fractures, professional assessment and clearance by medical professionals is an absolute must.
Your takeaway: Give your body the necessary time to heal after a crash and guide your return based on your physical load tolerance, not on fixed dates.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.