Perspective is everything for John Degenkolb these days. Five months ago the German could have lost his career – even his life – when a car ploughed into him and several teammates during a routine training ride in Spain. Since then, the former Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix winner has dragged himself back from the brink, and after a lengthy rehabilitation is set to start his fourth Tour de France. Winning a stage, he tells Cyclingnews, would be huge after the year he has had but after everything he has gone through, he’s just glad to be here.
On January 23, several members of the Giant Alpecin team were training in Spain, putting the finishing touches to their form ahead of what they hoped would be another successful season on the road. Within a blink of an eye all those best-laid plans were thrown into turmoil when a car – driving on the wrong side of the road – drove into a group of Warren Barguil, Chad Haga, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam, Max Walscheid and John Degenkolb.
The riders escaped life-threatening injuries but the medical bulletin made for grim reading nonetheless. Degenkolb suffered a serious hand injury that needed surgery, and he later confirmed on Facebook that the end of his left index finger had almost been entirely severed. Barguil suffered a fractured scaphoid, while Walscheid fractured his hand and tibia. Ludvigsson and Sinkeldam escaped with multiple scratches and bruises. Haga also suffered an orbital fracture that could only be operated on after severe swelling had gone down.
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In the intervening months each of those riders made a comeback to the sport. With the Tour de France just days away, Degenkolb is set to lead the line for Giant-Alpecin in the sprints.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve had to make such a big comeback after such a long time off the bike,” he tells Cyclingnews.
“That had a huge impact on me, of course, but if you put it into perspective and look at what happened in January then you realise that it’s great that I’ve reached the level where I am already. I’m really happy about that.”
More on this story
- Degenkolb adjusting to four-fingered bike handling - Video
- Trek-Segafredo set to swoop for Degenkolb as Giant-Alpecin hesitate
- Degenkolb, Haga involved in Giant-Alpecin training camp accident
No doubt on comeback
Tour de France perspective
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