Stefan Denifl and Heinrich Haussler: Back at it

The good news came at the beginning of this month.

Both Stefan Denifl and Heinrich Haussler received the green light to return to competition from the University of Geneva Hospitals (HUG) staff.

As a staff member of the Geneva University Hospitals, with which IAM Cycling has signed a partnership, Professor Jacques Ménétrey has been pleased to highlight the merits of the two injured riders.

“Both have shown an exemplary attitude and unusual motivation to get healthy and fit.” 

Team Manager Serge Beucherie is delighted to have two important riders returned to his collection.  “Stefan Denifl worked well since the surgery to his fractured collarbone which he sustained July 5^th during the sixth stage of the Tour of Austria.  He will make his return to the Tour du Limousin starting August 20^th, and will need to find the pace of competition again.  For his part, Heinrich Haussler will return a week later at the Tour de Poitou-Charentes.  Thanks to excellent medical care and his own deep determination, Haussler has recovered faster than expected from the fracture to his pelvis in a crash during the sixth stage of the Tour of Switzerland on June 13^th.   For Heinrich, his goal was not to end the 2013 season on a misfortune.”

As first of the injured duo to return to competition, Stefan Denifl could not hide his pleasure at being back in the saddle.

“After the accident, I did not touch my bike for three weeks.  Then I came back gradually.  For the past two weeks, I have been able to train normally, though I do still feel pain when I want to pull hard on my handlebars.  It will do me good to get back into the peloton because there is a difference in the training output versus the efforts you give in competition.  And I have not given up on the idea of riding in the Worlds road race in Florence, especially since the hard circuit would suit me well.  So now, I still have time to convince the Austrian coach.”

Next man on the comeback trail, Heinrich Haussler speaks about his road to recovery without forgetting the details.

“I felt shock when I was told that I would have to be off the bike for a period of 12 weeks.  I was gutted morally and physically.  I had to use a wheelchair.” 

Living in Germany, the Australian now is anxious to return to work with the team.

“I gritted my teeth and I was confident that everything would be okay as I was working everyday 3 and 4 hours with the physiotherapist.  For the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of riding on the road again with my bike.  I have not spared myself, regularly doing 6 and 7 hour rides.  I’ll head off to the Tour de Poitou-Charentes in order to rediscover the pace of competition.  Then hopefully I can have a selection of races that will help prepare me in the best way possible for the spring classics of the 2014 season.”