Injury patterns among cyclists differed by discipline and setting, including whether injuries occurred in training or competition. A retrospective study published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation examined injuries serious enough to keep athletes out of training or competition for at least three weeks, covering a complete five-year Olympic cycle. Among 192 cyclists surveyed, 72 sustained at least one such severe injury during the period, a proportion of 37.5 percent with a 95 percent confidence interval of 31.0 to 44.5 percent. In total, the athletes reported 237 severe injuries over the five years.

The researchers, led by Christophe Lambert and Ramona Ritzmann, used a retrospective online questionnaire that recorded injury location, injury type, the context in which the injury occurred, the resulting time loss, and return-to-sport outcomes. They compared findings across sex, discipline, and competitive level at the athlete level using exact tests with 95 percent confidence intervals. These comparisons were considered exploratory.

The upper extremity was the most frequently affected body region, accounting for 33.8 percent of the recorded injuries, followed by the lower extremity at 27.8 percent. The three most common specific diagnoses were hand fractures (n = 14), clavicle fractures (n = 13), and non-specific knee injuries (n = 9).

Discipline mattered considerably. Hand fractures (33.3 percent; p = 0.002) and shoulder dislocations (20.0 percent; p = 0.002) were most frequent among BMX athletes. Hand fractures also occurred more frequently in competitive athletes than in recreational athletes, at 13.5 percent versus 1.0 percent, with a p value of 0.001.

The setting of the injury also differed by diagnosis. Clavicle fractures occurred predominantly during competition, while non-specific knee injuries occurred predominantly during training.

Time loss varied widely by diagnosis. Mean absence from sport ranged from 6.5 weeks for hand fractures to 13.3 weeks for shoulder dislocations.

Full return ranged from 85.7 percent after hand fractures to just 28.6 percent after acromioclavicular joint separations.

The authors conclude that injury patterns differed by discipline and by setting, and they argue that prevention strategies should therefore address both dimensions.

Subject of Research: Injury patterns, time loss, and return-to-performance outcomes after severe injuries in competitive cyclists over an Olympic cycle

Article Title: Severe injuries in competitive cycling during an olympic cycle: injury patterns, time loss, and return-to-performance outcomes

Article References: Lambert, C., Lambert, M., Galandi, M., Wolfarth, B., Grim, C., Shafizadeh, S., & Ritzmann, R. (2026). Severe injuries in competitive cycling during an olympic cycle: injury patterns, time loss, and return-to-performance outcomes. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 18(1), Article 558. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-02201-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13102-026-02201-x

Keywords: competitive cycling, severe injury, BMX, hand fractures, clavicle fractures, shoulder dislocation, acromioclavicular joint, time loss, return to performance, injury prevention, retrospective study, Olympic cycle