Haussler and Denifl cleared to return to racing

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Team IAM is happy to have two riders back in action soon after Heinrich Haussler and Stefan Denifl have been pronounced medically fit to resume riding.

Haussler is recovering from a fractured pelvis and will return to action at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes the end of the month, while Denifl, who suffered a broken collarbone, will be back at the Tour du Limousin.

“Both have shown an exemplary attitude and unusual motivation to get healthy and fit,” said Professor Jacques Menetrey of the Geneva University Hospital according to the Swiss team.

Haussler crashed out of the Tour d Suisse in mid-June.

“Thanks to excellent medical care and his own deep determination, Haussler has recovered faster than expected,” team manager Serge Beucherie said. “For Heinrich, his goal was not to end the 2012 season on (a note of) misfortune.”

The Australian confirmed to Cyclingnews last week that he would race again this month, saying that after five weeks off the bike, he was now again full in training.

“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,” Haussler said. 

“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.”

Denifl underwent surgery for a fractured collarbone suffered in a crash at the sixth stage of the Tour of Austria in early July.

“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",  he said.

“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.”