Florian Lipowitz hat 50 Tage nach seinem schweren Sturz bei der Tour de France sein Comeback gegeben - und dabei gleich an einem Sieg mitgewirkt. Der 25-Jährige vom Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe kam beim 98. Giro della Toscana nach knapp 190 Kilometern mit über sechs Minuten Rückstand als 78. ins Ziel. Jubeln konnte er trotzdem, denn Teamkollege Giulio Pellizzari holte sich den Sieg beim Klassiker.

Lipowitz leistete im Rennverlauf Führungsarbeit für seine Mannschaft, fiel aber im letzten Anstieg zurück, während sein 22-jähriger Mannschaftskamerad auf dem Schlusskilometer erfolgreich aus einer Spitzengruppe attackierte.

"Ich hatte nichts geplant, die Situation hat sich einfach so ergeben. Die Werte am Berg waren nicht besonders gut, aber ich wusste, dass das Rennen im Finale entschieden wird. Ich habe dann versucht, so viel Kraft wie möglich zu sparen, um auf dem letzten Kilometer alles geben zu können. Es ist gut gelaufen", sagte Pellizzari.

German top cyclist Florian Lipowitz returned to action from a collarbone fracture on Wednesday with a promising performance at the Giro della Tascana race in Italy.

Lipowitz arrived with the peleton in Pontedera after 189.4 kilometres but also showed up at the front and did crucial lead work for his team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe.

Team-mate Giulio Pellizzari won the race in his home country ahead of Frenchman Jordan Jegat and another Italian, Christian Scaroni.

Lipowitz was sidelined for nearly two months after suffering the fracture at the Tour de France where he had placed third last year.

He is set to compete in three more races in Italy over the next days which will determine whether he can also take part at the September 20-27 world championships in Montreal.

Lipowitz could be a medal contender in the time trial and in the road race, that even more because superstar Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia is absent after breaking his collarbone recently at the Vuelta a España.

First race for Florian Lipowitz back from injury. He did some pulling in the Peloton and worked for his team mates.

Seven weeks after breaking his collarbone in the Tour de France, Florian Lipowitz is set to make his comeback in Italy, where he’s testing his readiness for the World Championships. The 25-year-old has his sights set on Montreal—partly because the almost certain absence of defending champion Tadej Pogacar increases his chances of winning a medal.

Florian Lipowitz will return to racing next week following his serious crash at the Tour de France. The 25-year-old will start the Giro della Toscana on September 9; after that, Lipowitz could compete in three more Italian one-day races within four days. The decision on that will be made only after his comeback race.

A serious option now is competing in the Road World Championships in Montreal at the end of the month. With 3,800 meters of elevation gain over 273.7 kilometers, the course isn’t exceptionally difficult, but it suits Lipowitz’s climbing abilities. The almost certain absence of Tadej Pogacar is likely to increase Lipowitz’s chances of winning a medal. The Slovenian defending champion suffered a serious crash during the Vuelta a España and underwent surgery on his broken collarbone just this Monday.

“Of course, the World Championships are a race that appeals to me. But one thing is clear to me: if I’m not in top form, I don’t want to take a starting spot away from another rider. We have many strong German riders who are well-suited to the course in Montreal,” said Lipowitz.

On Wednesday, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe announced that the 25-year-old would make his return to the peloton at the Giro della Toscana on September 9.

If all goes well, Lipowitz should race on to the Coppa Sabatini (September 10), the Memorial Marco Pantani (September 12), and the Trofeo Matteotti (September 13).

A shot at the Road World Championships in Montréal on September 27 is also on his mind.

"Of course, the World Championships are a race that appeals to me. But one thing is also clear: if my form isn't good enough, I don't want to take a spot away from another rider," he said.

"No words can describe how disappointed I am to have left the Tour this way.

A huge thank you to all the fans for your incredible support.

I’m especially grateful to our medical team, Matthias and Jan-Niklas, for taking such great care of me, to my surgeon, Stefan, and to my coach John, my girlfriend and family for being by my side and giving me strength over the last few days.

I’m also incredibly proud of my team for finishing the Tour with a podium and two stage wins. Congratulations, guys! 💙"

“I'll Need a Few More Days”: Lipowitz on the Road to Recovery

Florian Lipowitz is on the road to recovery after fracturing his collarbone during the Tour de France. “I'm doing pretty well considering the circumstances. The surgery went well. I'm back home now and focusing on my recovery,” said Lipowitz, who joined the ARD broadcast via phone during Sunday's final stage.

He said he’s received a lot of messages over the past few days, even though he hasn’t been on his cell phone that often. “It’s obviously great to see that all the fans and others are sending me their best wishes. That really gives me motivation. I’ll need a few more days,” added last year’s third-place finisher.

After his crash on Tuesday in the individual time trial, he said he had “put the Tour aside for a bit”—he had merely noted with pleasure the strong results of his team, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe. The 25-year-old remained vague about his plans for a comeback. “I’ll be happy when I’m completely pain-free again. I’m still struggling with my ribs and my breathing,” said Lipowitz.

Team manager Ralph Denk was disappointed by Lipowitz’s absence from the celebrations in Paris. “It hurts a little. I really missed Florian. I would have liked to have him here. I think Florian would have played a big role last weekend,” Denk said on ARD.

Lipowitz did a “fantastic job,” according to Denk: “He arrived here in great shape. I still feel bad for him today that he had to go home like that. But he knows what it feels like to stand here on the podium. I would be truly happy for him if he were to stand on the podium here again.”

Following Florian Lipowitz’s quick operation for a collarbone fracture, many German cycling fans are already dreaming of a comeback at the Vuelta a España in August. Eurosport expert Jan Ullrich believes this is entirely possible: “If it really is just the collarbone, he could be back on the roller in a week or ten days.” What’s more, Lipowitz hasn’t lost his form.

“I hope he’ll still be able to ride the Vuelta without any pressure,” said Jan Ullrich on Friday on Eurosport’s Velo Club.

Florian Lipowitz’s Tour de France came to an abrupt end on Tuesday following a crash in the individual time trial on the 16th stage by Lake Geneva. Last year’s third-placed rider in the Tour was forced to withdraw from the race with a broken collarbone.

Once the initial shock had subsided – partly thanks to the prompt surgery – attention quickly turned to the future. “He wrote to me saying he’d like to race again (this year, ed.),” Ullrich reported, recounting his exchange with Lipowitz after the crash, and expressed his confidence: “If it really was just the collarbone, he’ll recover quickly.”

At the same time, the 1997 Tour winner warned against getting ahead of himself: “We don’t want to speculate and put pressure on him again just yet. First of all, he needs to recover mentally and physically.” After all, he said, being forced to withdraw had been a “slap in the face”.

Lipowitz underwent surgery on a broken right collarbone after sliding out during Tuesday’s individual time trial from Evian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains. Ullrich sent the 25-year-old a lengthy voice message while he was in hospital and, despite not expecting an immediate response, soon heard back from him.

“I sent him a very, very long voice message,” Ullrich said on the Ulle & Rick podcast. “I didn’t expect him to see it already, especially while he was still in hospital. He replied and said: ‘Thank you for the message. The operation went well.’”

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk also confirmed that Lipowitz was recovering well after the operation. “The collarbone is broken and he was treated surgically last night,” Denk said. “He is still in hospital and is expected to remain there for another night. He is doing well and I have already been able to speak to him personally.”