Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep) has revealed the cost of his crash earlier this month, both in terms of being off the bike, with no training, and a much later than expected return to racing in 2025.
The Olympic road race champion, and TT world champion, sustained rib, shoulder blade and hand fractures in a crash at the start of the month. The driver of a van appeared to open the vehicle's door as the Belgian was passing.
During the incident - in Oetingen, Belgium on December 3rd - he also suffered lung contusions, a dislocated right clavicle and torn ligaments.
Any plan to race Giro d'Italia, though that was never confirmed, has been put to one side as Evenepoel has now revealed his total time away from training on the roads will be two months.
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In an interview with La Derniere Heure-Les Sports, Evenepoel said while his condition was improving, progress was unfolding "slowly".
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“I feel small daily progress. In terms of exercises, I can't do anything except a little manipulation of my shoulder so that it's not too stiff," he said.
"They also massage the muscles in my elbow, my arm, but that's it. And then, I still sometimes feel pain in my shoulder. This means that the injury is still healing and that it was quite serious. It's not pleasant."
He has a scan on January 9th and, depending on the outcome of that examination, he may be able to ride on the indoor trainer a little. However, he said he does not expect to return to training outdoors until the start of February.
He was then hopeful he could open his season in France at Faun-Ardèche Classic and Faun Drome Classic, two one-day races on March 1st and 2nd.
“If I can start training normally around February 4th or 5th, I will only have three weeks in my legs before these two races," he said of the French events.
"But I do not intend to go there without ambition for results. So, it is no longer an option. Today, I only have one idea in mind: to be at the start of the Flèche Brabançonne and follow up with the three other Ardennes classics with the ambition of playing for the win.”
