One of gravel's top players, Carolin Schiff (Canyon), has announced that she will be sitting out the rest of the 2025 cycling season after a succession of breaks left the winner of Unbound in 2023 to the realisation that something more was going on.
Schiff, who started the season with a win at the UCI Gravel World Series event, Castellon Gravel Race, and tried to chase a third win at The Traka 200, but came sixth while racing with a broken rib.
The German gravel champion then went on to race Unbound and finally another UCI event in France, Wish One Millau Grands Causses, in mid-June, which turned out to be her last race of the season.
"I crashed and landed on my left shoulder, where I already had a plate in my collarbone. That plate came loose and had to be replaced with a new one, plus reinforced with a bone graft. The good news is it's healing really well and I'm grateful for that, but unfortunately, that's not the only issue I'm dealing with," said Schiff in an Instagram post translated from German.
"It turns out my bone density isn't where it should be, which honestly explains a lot. So to be real with you, my body needs some proper rest, and I won't be racing again this year."
The health implications of the emphasis on watts per kilogram (w/kg) and consequent pressure to lose weight and spectre of REDS – Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport – and its impact on bone density and reproductive health have been drawn into the spotlight in road cycling through recent times.
French cyclist Cédrine Kerbaol, who has a diploma in nutrition studies, launched an Instagram account, @f.e.e.d_powr (Fuelling for Endurance, Energy, and Durability), to raise awareness of and speak out on the topic.
The Cyclists Alliance has also called for regulatory intervention via the UCI to screen for REDS and bone density. Schiff's announcement is a reminder that it is an issue that has ramifications across the cycling disciplines.
"There is also the topic of REDS hanging over me," said Schiff. "For quite a while, I haven't had my period, so right now the most important thing is getting that back on track, taking this seriously, giving my body the rest and support it needs so that I can recover properly and hopefully come back stronger next year with a healthy body and stronger bones."
The rider who took the top spot overall in the UCI Gravel World Series in 2024 said she was grateful to have sponsors who stood with her during this process and that together with her coach, Philipp Seipp, "we've worked out a plan to get me back into the best possible shape while giving my body the recovery time it needs."
