Pfeiffer Georgi Refrains from Viewing Tour de France Crash Footage

British road champion Pfeiffer Georgi has stated she has not viewed footage of her crash at the Tour de France Femmes, an incident where she sustained a fractured neck and a broken hand. The 23-year-old cyclist was thrown over her handlebars during a multi-rider collision on the fifth stage of the race in August, occurring as she exited a roundabout. In addition to her neck injury, Georgi also fractured her hand in the incident. Her recovery involved wearing a neck brace for 10 weeks. Last week marked her first outdoor bike ride since the accident. Speaking to BBC Sport, Georgi explained, “I’ve not watched it back because I don’t want to see it.” She recounted the event, stating, “I remember it felt quite unexpected, we all thought we were going straight and then I just saw people crashing in front of me. I didn’t even have time to brake or bunny hop or anything. I just hit them and flipped over and landed on the top of my head.” This recent crash represents the second significant injury of Georgi’s career. Previously, in November 2020, she fractured vertebrae on the opposite side of her body during the Classic Brugge-De Panne race, an injury that necessitated her re-learning to walk. The DSM-Firmenich PostNL rider noted experiencing comparable pain while on the ground after the recent incident. She elaborated, “I kind of knew that feeling and I straight away thought my hand was broken and that was what I was more certain of.” Georgi continued, “Then after like five to 10 minutes, I started getting the same pain as I had before so I thought maybe this [the neck] is broken.” This accident concluded Georgi’s 2024 season, which she has characterized as her “best season” to date in her six-year professional career. Highlights of the year included securing her third national road title in June, achieving a fifth-place finish at the Olympics road race in Paris, and placing third at the prestigious Paris-Roubaix monument race. “I tried to re-frame it as like I’d had a really great year. I did the classics and I had Roubaix and Nationals and Olympics and my main goals were done,” she stated. Georgi added, “I was trying not to think ‘oh, it’s annoying that I’m in great shape’. I was thinking, ‘OK, we’ve achieved a lot.'” Georgi, a native of Gloucestershire who now resides in Andorra, mentioned that her mother stayed with her during the initial weeks of her recovery, which ultimately extended beyond the anticipated duration. Her hand was initially immobilized in a cast, and her neck was supported by a fixed brace before she transitioned to a flexible, removable one. “Initially they said one month and then in the end it was three months before I was even allowed on the road,” she recounted. Georgi further explained, “That was also quite hard because every few weeks I thought I’ll be back on the road next week, next week, next week. And then I had to wait 90 days for the fracture to be completely consolidated.” Although her broken bones have now mended, the psychological impact requires a longer healing process. Following her 2020 crash, she engaged with a psychologist to regain the confidence needed to compete. She is once again seeking similar professional support to acquire coping and relaxation techniques, including visualizing herself in a race environment. “I remember from last time I was really terrified because I was just scared that it might happen again, or that it could have been worse,” she shared. Georgi continued, “Both times the doctors have said have been like you’re very lucky to have full mobility still. I think that’s probably the hardest part of it because the recovery time will be like six weeks or three months or whatever, and then it’s done. But it’s the impact of that that I’ve found is the hardest bit.” Her performance on the road this year represented a notable advancement in Georgi’s career. She secured third place in Roubaix following a sprint finish, having independently rejoined the leading group. During the Olympics, she was a medal contender on the final lap until she was distanced on the Montmartre climb with 10km remaining, subsequently riding solo to achieve fifth place. “I think they were probably my two best days of the year and of my career. I think that’s just really exciting – that shows that I’m like getting towards the level that I want to be and competitive in the races that I love,” Georgi commented. She added, “I think that gives me confidence going forward, definitely.” Regarding the Olympic race, she stated, “My legs just exploded [in Paris] and I saw my dream slipping away from me up the Montmartre the last time.” “Initially I was really disappointed after the line, but I gave it everything I had on the day and I think I was performing really well. On reflection, I can’t be disappointed, it still was a good result,” she reflected. Georgi concluded, “It’s just when you have a chance once every four years and a medal could have potentially been possible then it was quite hard at the time.” As a primary specialist in one-day races, Georgi’s objectives for the upcoming season include targeting events such as Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, and the inaugural women’s Milan-San Remo in the spring. She expressed her readiness, stating, “I’m ready to get back to work because I’ve had enough time sat on the sofa to be honest.”