Shirin van Anrooij had been anticipated to return to racing in May following iliac artery endofibrosis surgical procedure late final yr, however her Lidl-Trek workforce has introduced that given her restoration progress that begin date has been shifted and the 23-year-old will now return to racing at Milan-San Remo Women.
The Dutch rider pulled the pin on her 2024 season early to resolve what was the reason for ache and energy loss in her left leg, along with her final highway race of the season being the Grand Prix de Wallonie in September earlier than present process surgical procedure on October 31.
The expectation was that the multi-discipline rider wouldn’t return to racing for six months, so a begin on Saturday is considerably sooner than anticipated.
“I’m certain everybody shall be as stunned as I used to be to search out out that I shall be racing Sanremo Women on Saturday however, I don’t suppose anybody shall be (or will be) as enthusiastic about as I’m about it,” stated Van Anrooij in a workforce assertion.
“It’s sooner than we anticipated however my restoration has been going tremendous effectively so this doesn’t really feel rushed, it looks like a pure subsequent step that was taken along with my coach and the efficiency workers of Lidl-Trek.”
The 156km race from Genoa to San Remo marks the return of the Monument to the ladies’s calendar after a two-decade absence, and it’s normally a race that may swimsuit the 2023 Trofeo Alfredo Binda winner.
“When I acquired the call-up, at first, I actually didn’t know what to suppose,” stated Van Anrooij. “Nervous? Happy? Excited? Scared? There had been so many ideas and emotions going by means of my mind however, truthfully, I’ve had an enormous smile on my face ever since.
“I simply can’t wait to be again racing, to pin a quantity on a jersey and line up alongside my teammates and there’s something much more particular about it being right here, at Sanremo Women. It’s unbelievable to be a part of this particular second for the fashionable ladies’s peloton and, truthfully, final yr I couldn’t have imagined being right here.”
Anrooij shall be lining up in a Lidl-Trek squad that features Elisa Balsamo, who made certain she can be among the many high favourites at Milan-San Remo Women by as soon as once more profitable at Trofeo Alfredo Binda earlier this month. That means Anrooij is not going to solely be returning to the fray at a troublesome occasion, however one the place the workforce shall be working onerous to capitalise on their robust hand.
“It was a extremely onerous time after my prognosis and the surgical procedure however, I’ve actually been reminded of how a lot I really like biking and I do know, though it’s going to be onerous, I’ll take pleasure in each second of the race on Saturday,” stated Van Anrooij.
“We’ve accomplished a recon of each Cipressa and Poggio and it was nice to lastly trip up these iconic climbs.
“I do know there isn’t any stress from Lidl-Trek for outcomes this weekend, I simply need to play my half and assist the workforce as greatest I can.”
It is just not but clear if this implies Van Anrooij may even line up within the upcoming Belgian Classics, or proceed to work in direction of May and a block of Spanish stage racing.
