The 2016 season could not have begun worse for Team Giant-Alpecin, as a car plowed into a training group of six riders in Spain in January. The horrendous accident and resulting injuries left not only the team but the whole cycling world in shock, and doubt for the riders’ future careers and lives.
Many of the injuries were serious but all six returned to racing within four months. Some were successful, some were not. Most are staying with the team, to be called Team Sunweb-Giant in the future, but two are leaving, one voluntarily, one not.
Warren Barguil, John Degenkolb, Chad Haga, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam and Max Walscheid were training together in the mountains and returning to the hotel in Calpe, Spain, when they were directly struck by a car driving in the wrong lane.
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Haga appeared to be the most seriously injured and was airlifted from the scene. He suffered neck and facial injuries, including a broken orbital bone. He underwent surgery for the deep wounds to repair veins and arteries, but no surgery was required for the fracture.
The American kept his sense of humour during his convalescence, showing off his scars on social media. He returned to racing the end of March at the Criterium International, and went on to ride (and finish) two Grand Tours – to his own amazement. "If you said on Jan 25 that I'd finish the Giro & Vuelta and race for USA in WCRR this year, I'd have poured my drinkable breakfast on you," he tweeted. Haga, who is getting married this weekend, pulled a piece of windshield glass out of his lip at the World Championships.
Perhaps the biggest loss to the team was Degenkolb. The tip of his left index finger was nearly severed, and he rode the season with a splint, admitting he had to learn to ride with only nine digits.
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