“I’ve not had one day where I really had magic legs for a few years” – Tao Geoghegan Hart hoping injury nightmare is finally behind him
Cycling
For Tao Geoghegan Hart, the past few seasons have been defined less by results and more by recovery. Injuries, illness and repeated setbacks have repeatedly disrupted the career of the 2020 Giro d’Italia winner since his move to Lidl-Trek, turning what was meant to be a fresh chapter into a prolonged battle simply to regain continuity.
Now, as the 2026 season begins, the British rider believes he may finally be moving past the cycle of setbacks that has held him back.
Speaking recently about his preparations for the year ahead, Geoghegan Hart explained that the difference this winter has been the absence of the rehabilitation and recovery processes that dominated his previous off-seasons. “It’s the first normal winter I’ve had since I’ve been on the team,” he said in conversation with Cycling Weekly.
The significance of that comment becomes clearer when viewed against the context of the past three years. In 2023, while still riding for INEOS Grenadiers, Geoghegan Hart was enjoying one of the strongest periods of his career. He had won the overall classification at the Tour of the Alps and arrived at the Giro d’Italia as one of the leading contenders for the maglia rosa.
But his race ended abruptly on stage 11 after a high-speed crash in the peloton. At the time, he was sitting third overall and widely considered one of the favourites for the overall victory before the accident left him with a fractured hip and femur.
The injury required surgery and ended his season. Later that year, Geoghegan Hart confirmed he would leave INEOS Grenadiers to join Lidl-Trek ahead of the 2024 season, beginning what was meant to be a fresh chapter in his career.
Searching for consistency again
The absence of uninterrupted training has been one of the biggest challenges during that period. For a rider whose strengths lie in the deep stages of Grand Tours, building a solid foundation through winter preparation is essential.
That is why even relatively small setbacks could become more disruptive than they might appear. “I was sick before this race, but I had a base to rely on, whereas when you don’t have that base, those small setbacks push you further away from where you want to be,” Geoghegan Hart explained.
The difference this season, he suggested, is that he has been able to start from a more stable platform. Without surgery or rehabilitation dominating the off-season, the focus has returned to training and racing rather than recovery.
Even so, the process of translating training numbers into race performances has proved more difficult. “Physically and with fresh numbers, I’ve had no problems for a few years now, but that’s different to translating it to a race,” he said.
That gap between preparation and performance has been a recurring frustration during his comeback. After years of setbacks, the sensation of exceptional form has remained elusive. “I’ve not had one day on a bike where I really had magic legs or was feeling great for a few years now, but in the end, you just have to keep working away.”
Geoghegan Hart has proven Grand Tour pedigree, winning the Giro d'Italia
A long road back
Despite those struggles, Geoghegan Hart’s ambitions in the sport remain clear. When healthy, he still sees his place in the peloton in the decisive final week of Grand Tours. “The best place for me in cycling when I’m healthy and good is the last seven to 10 days in a Grand Tour. Without doubt.”
For now, however, the focus is on rebuilding race condition step by step rather than setting immediate targets. “I don’t really think too much about those next goals or steps, because there is a lot of stuff you need to do before then. Getting stuck in and getting good racing in my legs is more of a focus for me, and we’ll see how my place in the sport develops in the next six months.”
After several seasons defined by interruptions, the simple act of training, racing and progressing normally once again may represent the most important step of all for the former Giro champion.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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