'At least the struggle now makes sense' – Uno-X Mobility rider reveals he raced half the Giro d'Italia with a broken rib and three lower back fractures

Norwegian rider Erlend Blikra revealed he competed in the first half of the Giro d’Italia while suffering from a broken rib and three fractures in his lower back. The injuries stemmed from a crash on the opening stage, yet Blikra persevered through the pain for ten stages before ultimately missing the time cut on stage 11. His withdrawal marked the first abandonment of the race due to time elimination, as he finished 37 minutes behind the stage winner in Chiavari. Blikra’s determination was evident despite the severity of his injuries, which only came to light after medical examinations following the crash. Prior to his withdrawal, he had consistently finished near the back of the peloton, narrowly missing the time limit by just over a minute on the day he was eliminated. The 29-year-old admitted that understanding the extent of his injuries helped make sense of the physical struggles he endured throughout the race. Earlier in the season, Blikra had shown promising form, securing a stage victory at the Tour of Oman and multiple runner-up finishes in other races. He had been Uno-X Mobility’s sprint hope in Italy, but the early crash dashed any realistic chances of a stage win. Despite his own misfortune, the team celebrated success later in the Giro with Fredrik Dversnes winning stage 15 and Andreas Leknessund narrowly missing out on multiple podium finishes. Looking ahead, Blikra has shifted his focus to recovery, acknowledging that he will need to take time off from racing to heal properly. His commitment to returning to competition remains strong, and the experience, though painful, has provided clarity on the challenges he faced during the Giro. Meanwhile, Uno-X Mobility continues to build on its promising debut in the Grand Tour, demonstrating resilience and potential in the world’s toughest races.