On the third stage of the Tour of Austria, Aleix Espargaro crashes on a wet road – tearing ligaments in his thumb – but he is still proud of his debut as a professional cyclist
Honda MotoGP test rider Aleix Espargaro made his debut as a professional cyclist this week. As part of the Lidl Trek team, he was scheduled to compete in the Tour of Austria, which was known as the Österreich-Rundfahrt until 2023.
This event will take place in the Alpine republic for the 74th time in 2025. Five stages must be completed between July 9 and 13. The starting signal was given in Steyr (Upper Austria) and the finish is planned in Feldkirch (Vorarlberg).
For Espargaro, the cycling tour was over on the third day. The third stage took the participants to Gaisberg in Salzburg. Espargaro crashed on the rain-soaked road after only about 60 kilometers.
“I am very, very sorry that I am forced to give up,” the Spaniard said in his Instagram story. “Obviously, something is broken. My finger is twice as thick. I tried to start this morning, but I couldn’t brake.“
”I’m in a lot of pain and had to stop. Yes, I’m sorry. I hope to be back soon and wish the team all the best.” Espargaro crashed during the first stage and had two more crashes in the second.
The Spaniard traveled from Austria to his home country to receive treatment at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona. “I flew to Barcelona, where I was diagnosed with a torn ligament in my right thumb,” Espargaro reported. There was no fracture of the finger.
Despite the unfortunate end, he is overwhelmed by his debut as a professional road cyclist: “After all the months of preparation, doubts, and expectations, I would now like to share a few thoughts about my debut. Yesterday I was very sad, but today—with a little distance—I am proud.”
“The three stages were very fast and demanding. I had to learn a lot along the way, but I felt better than expected. It was incredible to experience this sport from the inside. Switching from MotoGP to cycling at the age of 35 was a real challenge.“
”The tension in the peloton, the speed… you can’t imagine that when you watch it on TV. Not even time to go to the toilet! I’m very proud to have been part of it – in a team like Lidl-Trek.“
”I know many people see me as a marketing commitment – and yes, that’s partly true. But I’m sure the team would only have let me start if they were convinced I had the level – and I think I proved that in these stages.”
“The support from the people has been incredible this year – both on the road and on social media. Even half the peloton wished me luck,” he says, describing the huge attention he received.
But he also says: “For many others, that will never be enough. I’m used to being judged all the time, feeling the pressure on social media… and that’s exactly what motivates me even more to keep working hard and dreaming big.”
After the second stage, Espargaro was in 89th place in the overall standings. His gap to the leader after the first two days was 14:56 minutes. Whether and when Espargaro will compete in another round is currently still open.
It is also currently unclear when Espargaro will next compete in a MotoGP race weekend. This coming weekend, Takaaki Nakagami, Honda’s second test rider, will replace the injured Somkiat Chantra in the LCR team.
