Mountain biker seriously injured in Breck Epic crash shares details of his journey

The 2024 Break Epic ended sadly for all the cyclists who took part in the race.

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

Grotts, who was leading the professional standings and chasing Matt Pike for the win in the final stage, hit a tree with such force that it spun around and was then knocked unconscious.

Shortly after the crash, several bicyclists, including Lasse Konecny ​​of Breckenridge, pulled up to Grotts to find him motionless.

Realizing that the situation was dire, cyclists from the professional men’s field stopped their races to assist in the emergency, using rescue techniques, informing race organizers or calling first responders to the scene.

Thanks to the quick response of all involved, Grotts was airlifted to a hospital in Denver for further treatment. With the race results shaken up by a mid-race emergency, the pros got together and decided that the results of Stage 6 would be neutralized in fairness to Grotts and the riders who stopped to lend a hand.

At the hospital, Grotts discovered he had broken his collarbone; dislocated the ring finger of the right hand; transferred compression, transverse and drop-shaped fractures of many vertebrae; broke the first and second ribs; broke his shoulder blade and received a severe concussion.

Due to serious injuries, Grotts spent a week in the hospital, where he went under the knife twice. Grotts underwent spondylodesis surgery on T4 and T11 vertebrae and then had a plate inserted into his collarbone.

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

“I was in the cervical collar for another six weeks and I did (physical therapy) every now and then while I was still in the cervical collar,” Grotts said. “Now I do (physiotherapy) twice a week. It’s just slow. Obviously, I can look back and see where I’ve been and realize I’ve come a long way.”

One of the most frustrating things Grotts had to deal with during 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 riding the trails and pushing his body every day. Suddenly not being able to train and move like he had done for years was somewhat of an adjustment and a mental boost.

“We started out with quarter-mile walks and then worked our way up,” Grotts said. “Now I can face the fact that I’m nowhere near as fit as I was before the accident.”

Even though Grotts knows he still has a long way to go before he’s fully recovered, he doesn’t feel overwhelmed or discouraged.

“As long as I have enough energy, my mind stays pretty good,” Grotts said. “Obviously, I have a way, but it’s not amazing. When I’m really tired, the mental space gets a little lower. It was good to be distracted by the books I wanted to read and to go out for short, really gentle classes.”

Two months after the accident, Grotts allowed himself to get back on the bike for light bike rides. Although the ride was not recommended by Grotts doctors, the short excursions provide a moment of bliss for the cyclist of a lifetime.

“I’ve been cycling for 25 years or so, so I feel like I’m at a lower risk of falling than most people,” Grotts said. “I’m going to go to (physical therapy) by bike. In about three months I will be able to start more serious training, but it will look very modest.”

Making steady progress in physical therapy sessions, Grotts tentatively plans to return to racing, but he’s hesitant to fall again. With long-term health in mind, Grotts also considered stepping away from mountain bike racing to focus on other cycling-oriented projects.

“A head injury can get worse, and the bones take a 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 mountains — that try to keep me sane and make me feel included. Help the team and be a professional athlete in a different way.”

After weeks of recovery, Grotts is still in awe of the strength of the mountain bike community and its response to his crash at the Breck Epic.

“It’s extremely special,” Grotts said. “It’s a world I’ve lived 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 as a professional athlete until you really need to. what help I was simply amazed and extremely grateful to everyone who showed up in one way or another. … It gives me a whole new appreciation for the cycling community.”

Breck Epic founder Mike McCormack even organized relief fund for Grotts after a terrible accident. Over the past few months, the cycling community has contributed more than $105,000 to help Grotts pay for recovery costs.

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