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 staff.
Since then, Evenpoel informed La Derniere Heure/Les Sports activities that he’s “getting higher however slowly.”
“I really feel small every day progress. By way of workout routines, I am unable to do something besides somewhat manipulation of my shoulder in order that it is not too stiff. In addition they therapeutic massage the muscle tissue in my elbow, my arm, however that is it. After which, I nonetheless typically really feel ache in my shoulder. Because of this the harm remains to be therapeutic and that it was fairly critical. It isn’t nice,” Evenepoel mentioned.
A scan scheduled for January 9 will present extra data on his restoration and hopefully enable him to get again on the rollers. Full energy in his shoulder is predicted to return six to eight weeks after the harm.
Pre-crash, the preliminary 2025 plan was to begin racing at the start of March on the Ardèche and the Drôme Traditional earlier than competing in Paris-Good 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. However I don’t intend to go there with out ambition for outcomes. So, it’s now not an possibility. At the moment, I solely have one concept in thoughts: to be initially of the Flèche Brabançonne [De Brabantse Pijl] and comply with up with the three different Ardennes classics with the ambition of enjoying for the win.”
The top aim stays the Tour de France in July, the place he appears to surpass his third-place general end and stage victory from this yr’s race.
“For the second, my concept is to participate in these 4 races. I’ve to. In any other case, I’ll miss competitors earlier than the Tour de France. If there’s a approach 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 harm, it is a particular yr and I’ve to adapt.”
Evenepoel received Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice – in 2022 and 2023 – and completed sixth the final time he raced De Brabantse Pijl in 2022.
Although additionally scheduled to race the Giro d’Italia, from Could 10 to June 1, he’ll most likely need to skip the primary Grand Tour of 2025.
“We now have to attend and see how the primary weeks of coaching go. However I am unable to moderately envisage a return to competitors earlier than the start of April, on the earliest. So, it can most likely be too brief for the Giro, even when you by no means know.”
