"Everyone was amazed at how well I’m recovering" – UAE's unheralded hero reunites with teammates in Dubai after spine fracture and two-week coma

Filippo Baroncini’s return to the bike in the Dubai sunshine marked a moment few inside UAE Team Emirates - XRG will forget. The 25-year-old Italian, who only months ago lay in an induced coma with multiple fractures after a horror crash at the Tour de Pologne, is pedalling again – and doing so with gratitude, perspective and a quiet strength that speaks louder than any result.

“It’s been a special time — a mix of highs and lows,” Baroncini told Bici.Pro, reflecting on the months since his life-threatening accident. “Maybe you could divide it up: the hospital phase, then returning home, then rehabilitation — which also had its ups and downs — and finally getting back on the bike.”

Baroncini spent two and a half months off the bike recovering from fractures to his collarbone, spine and face. “In hospital I was lucky to have my family beside me every single day,” he said. “That helped me enormously mentally. The doctors and nurses were so kind and encouraging – it made the days warmer. I just had to get through to the evening. Having positive people around really made a difference.”

When the green light finally came to start rehabilitation, progress came quickly. “At first they thought I’d have to stay in a centre day and night, but then they saw my recovery was going well and allowed me to follow an outpatient programme. That was a big motivation boost,” he explained. “We chose the Fisiology Centre in Forlì, where I already knew the staff — super-motivating and very professional. The recovery went well right away, especially at the muscular level, which was the main thing I’d lost.”

Now back training under the desert sun, the Italian talent – a former U23 world champion and 2025 Baloise Belgium Tour winner – is relishing every small milestone. “I feel calmer now. I’m happier. I’m back on the bike, and everything immediately felt better,” he said.

“My bones are fine, everything’s solid, so I’ve been able to return fairly quickly to normality. Obviously, it has to go step by step. I’d love to go straight out for four-hour rides and train properly again, but it’s really like starting from scratch, especially for the cardiovascular system. The goal is to get my heart rate and conditioning back to normal.”

The first outdoor rides came after weeks of walking, indoor cycling and therapy. “The main issue now is muscle and joint stiffness,” he admitted. “I’m working on it with osteopaths and physiotherapists.”

Baroncini’s reunion with his UAE teammates in Dubai was as emotional as it was symbolic — a return to the sport and the group that had rallied behind him through his darkest weeks. “It was a great emotion, like I’d drifted away from the group and finally rejoined it,” he smiled. “It was exactly what I needed: to be back with the team, to show I’m here, to share how things are going. Everyone was amazed at how well I’m recovering.”

That first ride under the desert sun was the moment he had longed for. “That was the emotion I was waiting for the most — even more than finding out how my body would react. I didn’t expect to say, ‘Wow, I feel great, I’m ready again.’ No — I just wanted to rediscover myself doing what I’ve always done.”

Now, his comeback programme is steadily ramping up. “My coach has started uploading sessions on TrainingPeaks, so having a weekly plan already feels like a big step. Gradually, day by day, I’m increasing the load — sometimes double sessions: gym in the morning, bike in the afternoon, or vice versa.”

Through it all, Baroncini has remained grounded and thankful for the support that carried him through. “So many people have written to me throughout this time,” he said. “My lifelong friends came to visit, and then all the team management — including president Matar Suhail, Matxin, Gianetti — plus some teammates like Covi. Even federation president Cordiano Dagnoni came to see me. It meant so much to see all those people showing such closeness and support.”

After a year that nearly ended his career, UAE’s quiet fighter is back where he belongs — on two wheels, smiling into the wind, and proving that resilience might just be his greatest victory of all.