Remco Evenepoel has set April 18, 2025, as his return to racing at De Brabantse Pijl after struggling a number of fractures in a coaching crash earlier this month. The double Olympic champion plans to begin all 4 Ardennes Classics – Amstel Gold on April 20, Flèche Wallonne on April 23, and concluding with Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 27.
The Belgian fractured a rib, shoulder blade and proper hand after crashing into the door of a Bpost postal car that opened in entrance of him on December 3. He swiftly underwent surgical procedure after the incident, adopted by two weeks of relaxation, in response to his Soudal-QuickStep group.
Since then, Evenpoel informed La Derniere Heure/Les Sports that he’s “getting higher however slowly.”
“I really feel small each day progress. In phrases of workouts, I am unable to do something besides somewhat manipulation of my shoulder in order that it is not too stiff. They additionally therapeutic massage the muscular tissues in my elbow, my arm, however that is it. And then, I nonetheless generally really feel ache in my shoulder. This signifies that the damage remains to be therapeutic and that it was fairly severe. It’s not nice,” Evenepoel mentioned.
A scan scheduled for January 9 will present extra data on his restoration and hopefully permit him to get again on the rollers. Full power in his shoulder is predicted to return six to eight weeks after the damage.
Pre-crash, the preliminary 2025 plan was to begin racing originally of March on the Ardèche and the Drôme Classic earlier than competing in Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico.
“If I can begin coaching usually round February 4-5, I’ll solely have three weeks in my legs earlier than these two races. But I don’t intend to go there with out ambition for outcomes. So, it’s not an possibility. Today, I solely have one concept in thoughts: to be firstly of the Flèche Brabançonne [De Brabantse Pijl] and comply with up with the three different Ardennes classics with the ambition of taking part in for the win.”
The finish objective stays the Tour de France in July, the place he appears to surpass his third-place general end and stage victory from this 12 months’s race.
“For the second, my concept is to participate in these 4 races. I’ve to. Otherwise, I’ll miss competitors earlier than the Tour de France. If there’s a manner so as to add a race to my program, we’ll do it however I do not know something about it in the intervening time. With this damage, it is a particular 12 months and I’ve to adapt.”
Evenepoel gained Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice – in 2022 and 2023 – and completed sixth the final time he raced De Brabantse Pijl in 2022.
Though additionally scheduled to race the Giro d’Italia, from May 10 to June 1, he’ll most likely need to skip the primary Grand Tour of 2025.
“We have to attend and see how the primary weeks of coaching go. But I am unable to fairly envisage a return to competitors earlier than the start of April, on the earliest. So, it should most likely be too quick for the Giro, even when you by no means know.”
