He Breck Epic 2024 It ended on a somber note for all riders involved in the race.

After five days of intense racing, the sixth and final stage of the August 16 came to an abrupt stop when Durango’s Howard Grotts collided with a tree about a mile from the finish line.

Grotts, leading the men’s pro overall standings and chasing Matt Pike to win the final stage, hit the tree with such force that it coiled around him and he was subsequently knocked unconscious.

Shortly after the accident, several cyclists, including Lasse Konecny ​​of Breckenridge, arrived at Grotts and discovered that it was not moving.

Recognizing that the situation was serious, cyclists in the men’s professional field stopped their races so they could assist in the emergency situation by performing life-saving techniques, informing race organizers, or bringing first responders to the area.

Due to the quick response from everyone involved, Grotts was airlifted to a hospital in Denver for additional care. With the race results shaken by the mid-race emergency, the professional men’s field came together and decided that the Stage 6 results would be neutralized in fairness to Grotts and the riders who stopped to lend a hand.

At the hospital, Grotts discovered that he had broken his collarbone; he dislocated his right ring finger; suffered compression, transverse and teardrop fractures in numerous vertebrae; he fractured his first and second ribs; He fractured his scapula and suffered a serious concussion.

Due to the severity of his injuries, Grotts spent a week in the hospital, where he underwent surgery twice. Grotts underwent spinal fusion surgery on his T4 and T11 vertebrae and then had a plate placed in his collarbone.

Once all surgeries were completed, Grotts spent a week in a rehabilitation hospital where he learned to overcome all of his injuries while wearing a neck brace. Three weeks after the accident, Grotts returned to Durango.

“I was in the brace for another six weeks and doing (physical therapy) occasionally while I was still in the brace,” Grotts said. “Now I’m doing (physical therapy) twice a week. It’s just slow. Obviously, I can look back and see where I was and realize I’ve come a long way.”

One of the most frustrating things Grotts had to deal with regarding his recovery was not being able to move as much as he used to before the accident.

As a professional mountain biker sponsored by Specialized, Grotts has spent his career hitting the trails and pushing his body daily. Suddenly not being able to train and move like he has for years has been a bit of an adjustment and a mental hurdle.

“We started with quarter-mile walks and then worked our way up from there,” Grotts said. “Now I have to face the fact that I am not as fit as before the accident.”

Despite knowing he has a long way to go before making a full recovery, Grotts doesn’t feel overwhelmed or frustrated.

“As long as I have enough energy, my mind will be pretty good,” Grotts said. “I obviously have a long way to go, but it’s not overwhelming. When I’m very tired, my mental space declines a little. It’s been good to distract myself with books I wanted to read and do short, really quiet activities.”

More than two months after the accident occurred, Grotts allowed himself to get back on his bike for leisurely rides. Although Grotts’ doctors did not recommend the trip, the short excursions provide a moment of happiness for the lifelong cyclist.

“I’ve been riding a bike for 25 years or something, so I feel like I’m less at risk of falling than the majority of the population,” Grotts said. “I’m going to travel to (physiotherapy) by bicycle. Around three months is when I can start training more seriously, but it will still seem very low-key.”

Grotts, making steady progress in his physical therapy sessions, tentatively plans to compete again, but is hesitant to crash again. With his long-term health a priority, Grotts has also considered stepping away from mountain bike racing to focus on other cycling-focused projects.

“The head injury could get much worse and the bones need a full year to fully heal,” Grotts said. “I’ve been thinking about other projects I could do outside of racing, like fastest known times or king of the mountain attempts to keep me sane and make me feel involved. Help the team and be a professional athlete in a different way.”

After weeks of recovery, Grotts is still amazed by the power of the mountain biking community and its response to his accident at the Breck Epic.

“It’s extremely special,” Grotts said. “It’s the world I’ve been in for so many years, so you don’t take it for granted, but you don’t realize how close-knit the community is and how many people you can impact by being a professional athlete until you really need to. that help. I was amazed and very grateful to everyone who was present in one way or another. … It gives me a whole new appreciation for the cycling community.”

Breck Epic founder Mike McCormack even organized a relief fundor Grotts after the terrifying accident. In recent months, the cycling community has contributed more than $105,000 to help Grotts pay his recovery expenses.

“Mike McCormack and the entire Breck Epic team were absolutely admirable when things went wrong,” Grotts said. “It’s a really great race and they show up when needed. There probably isn’t a good race to fall into, but I’m glad it was that one because the entire Breckenridge community did what needed to be done. “I really appreciate Breckenridge.”