Florian Lipowitz set to make a comeback after broken collarbone forced Tour de France withdrawal

Florian Lipowitz is set to make his comeback soon. The German rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was forced to withdraw from the Tour de France time trial with a broken collarbone. He was also unable to recover in time for the Vuelta a España, but he is now ready to return to racing. He will start with the Italian autumn season.

Lipowitz is set to return to the Giro della Toscana on September 9, weather permitting. After his crash and subsequent surgery at the Tour de France, the German took ten days off before beginning to work on his comeback at the Red Bull Athletic Performance Center.

"The first few days after the surgery were mainly about getting the rest I needed. Being able to start training again was an important step. Of course, after such a long break, you realise there’s still a lot missing. But I did feel myself making progress from one training session to the next,” Lipowitz said via his team’s channels.

So he’ll be making his return in a week. “Above all, I’m looking forward to putting on a race number again and racing. After seven weeks without races, I’m not exactly sure where I stand. That’s what we want to find out now. For me, these first races aren’t about results. I want to see how my body reacts to the demands of a race, get back into the rhythm, and then work with the team to determine what’s still possible this season.”

Lipowitz is also expected to compete in the Coppa Sabatini, the Memorial Marco Pantani, and/or the Trofeo Matteoti, but doesn’t want to set anything in stone just yet.

"That's what we want to find out now. For me, these first races aren’t about results. I want to see how my body responds to the demands of a race, get back into the rhythm, and then work with the team to determine what’s still possible this season,” said Lipowitz, who may also compete at the World Cycling Championships in Canada.

"Of course, the World Championships are a race that really appeal to me. But one thing is also clear: if I’m not in good enough shape, I don’t want to take a spot away from another rider. We have a lot of strong German riders who are a great fit for the course in Montreal. I want to wait and see how these first races go and honestly assess where I stand. If I’m in good shape, I’d very much like to race in the World Championships—but I’m not putting any pressure on myself about that right now.'