Cycling pro Buchmann sustains multiple bone breaks in piling mishap.
A devastating pile-up during the Tour de Suisse puts an end to Emanuel Buchmann's cycling career with Team Bora-hansgrohe. The German cyclist suffers from a broken pelvis, a broken collarbone, and more critically, a heart injury. This also means a premature goodbye for him from his current team.
Lying before a garage entrance in the Swiss town of Regensdorf, Emanuel Buchmann was in agony. The severe accident on the second stage of the Tour de Suisse inflicted gruesome injuries that would be confirmed later in the hospital - a fractured pelvis, a broken collarbone, and a heart chunk - leading to a sad send-off from his long-time team.
"It's unfortunate," Patxi Vila, the Swiss-based sports director of Team Bora-hansgrohe, expressed in response to the devastating injuries sustained by the 31-year-old, which would necessitate surgeries and a probable multiple-month recuperation: "Emu was in great shape and was capable of delivering top results. We'll miss him here."
The uncertainty regarding Vila's statement's extent remains. The rift between Buchmann and the Bavarian squad, which he has been a part of since 2015 (originally named Bora-Argon18), has become apparent. Hence, one of the most significant setbacks in the career of the leading German grand tour cyclist of post-Jan Ullrich and Jens Voigt eras occurs at the most inopportune moment.
"He doesn't show interest in us or for us - he didn't express his thoughts directly but it came through in the team," announced team manager Ralph Denk after Buchmann made his displeasure known about being overlooked for the Giro d'Italia: "I can't describe my sadness and annoyance. Bora had even promised him a co-leadership position."
Since then, it was clear: Buchmann's contract, slated to expire at the year's end, would not be renewed, and the relationship between a gifted rider and a successful team that had once enjoyed a close connection would come to a bitter end. Buchmann's fourth-place finish overall at the 2019 Tour was a revival of German grand tour cycling, akin to the enamor of "Ulle" (Ullrich).
Buchmann could not continue his earlier successes, and Denk enlisted international stars like Roglic, Wlassow, and Martinez. Buchmann, who had previously grown into a leader, was demoted to co-captain, then deputy, and finally an icebreaker. Buchmann was also excluded from the Tour de France plans, while he aimed to make a splash at the Tour de Suisse - it didn't turn out as intended.
The market for a 32-year-old cyclist without a signature victory is miserly. Tadej Pogacar's UAE team was rumored to be interested, as was Cofidis, where Buchmann could fill Simon Geschke's retiring boots. However, the season after Buchmann's gruesome crash in Regensdorf could not have been any worse, heightening the challenge of future planning.
Read also:
Emanuel Buchmann, despite the setback, continued to show interest in returning to competitive cycling. His new team, yet to be confirmed, would provide him with an opportunity to prove his mettle once again.
As Buchmann looked forward to a fresh start, Team Bora-hansgrohe began its search for a suitable replacement, keeping in mind the team's goal of maintaining its winning streak in major cycling events.
