"Not all victories have a finish line" - Andrea Vendrame returns to racing three months after his career-threatening Giro injury
CyclingSaturday, 01 August 2026 at 06:00
Andrea Vendrame has been a long-time absentee from racing, but that is bound to change next week. The Italian rider's racing break was caused by a crash during Bulgarian Grande Partenza of the 2026 Giro d'Italia stage 2, where several other riders were forced to stop. Now nearly three months later, Vendrame returns at the Tour de Pologne next Monday.
Vendrame kicked off his 2026 campaign in style with a string of top results in one-day races, culminating with a sixth place at Milano-Sanremo. With a great spring in mind, the Jayco AlUla rider headed to his home Grand Tour with sights set on stage wins, but those were terminated abruptly by a crash on stage 2. Vendrame suffered a broken vertebrae and had to take a long time to recover.
"Not all victories have a finish line," Vendrame titles his Instagram story. "After the fall at the Giro d'Italia and the fracture of the transverse processes of my vertebrae, my world stopped for a while."
But Vendrame kept fighting for his recovery - and eventually returned to full training load two months after his crash.
"From the wheelchair, to my first steps with the help of those who were close to me. From a basin to be able to stand on the rollers for a while, to a barbecue as support. Then, day after day, an increasingly natural position. Until the moment I was back on the road, doing what I love."
Return is within sight
Since the fateful accident, nearly three months have passed. And Vendrame is fit to compete again. He will do so at the Tour de Pologne (August 3-9). Hopefully, his return is without any complications and the Italian all-rounder is soon back to his usual level.
"Recovery isn't made of big leaps, but of small, seemingly invisible progress... until one day you look back and realize how far you've come. These photos tell the story of that journey. Thank you to those who stayed by my side during the most difficult days. Without you, everything would have been much more complicated. And now, off to Poland!"
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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