Soudal-QuickStep have come collectively for the Belgian staff’s pre-season coaching camp in Calpe, Spain, although the injured Remco Evenepoel is a major notable absence from the 10-day gathering.
29 of the Belgian staff’s 30 riders have made the journey to Spain which runs to December 20. Mikel Landa, Yves Lampaert, and Tim Merlier might be joined in Calpe by new signings together with Max Schachmann, Valentin Paret-Peintre, and Britain’s Ethan Hayter.
Evenepoel, nevertheless, has remained again in Belgium as he begins rehab from surgical procedure following final week’s coaching crash which left him with fractures to a rib, hand, and shoulder blade in addition to lung contusions and a dislocated collarbone.
Soudal-QuickStep directeur sportif Klaas Lodewyck advised Sporza that Evenepoel was doing “in addition to doable beneath the given circumstances.”
“It is not straightforward, in fact, particularly now that each one the riders are leaving for a coaching camp. Usually that is a pleasant alternative to get to know the brand new guys and practice collectively. However as an example that it is going in addition to doable beneath the circumstances. Now and again he has a nasty thought, which is comprehensible.”
Lodewyck mentioned he is involved with the double Olympic champion “a number of instances a day”, noting that it is essential to present Evenepoel “as finest as doable” as he recovers from the laundry listing of accidents.
“Generally you marvel: what number of setbacks can you retain on coping with? Remco additionally talked about one more setback, as a result of one thing like that isn’t infinite,” Lodewyck revealed.
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“However OK, he has to cease enthusiastic about racing for some time and see this era as an additional lengthy winter. Regardless of how troublesome that might be for him.”
He famous that the staff would have a greater estimate on when Evenepoel would possibly have the ability to return to racing subsequent season “in mid-January”, together with his season presumably delayed by a month and a half in consequence.
“There’s a good likelihood that we should skip a month and a half and postpone his season begin accordingly. Solely then can we see what his first race may very well be and look ahead to what’s nonetheless doable in the direction of the Walloon classics,” he mentioned.
“We had put collectively a pleasant programme that he was utterly pleased with. Now will probably be a matter of puzzling once more. Every part will rely upon his rehabilitation. So, we can’t and will not look too far forward but, we can have a greater view by mid-January.
“He now has the house to consider his massive targets and what we should do to attain them. As a staff we will now properly lay out the puzzle for him.”
Within the meantime, 2025 planning can go forward with the opposite massive names on the staff who haven’t got accidents delaying their season begins.
Tim Merlier, who delivered 16 wins final season – together with three Giro d’Italia stage wins – may very well be in line for a Tour de France begin.
“Final season was phenomenal for him. It may solely profit the staff if he can proceed this,” Lodewyck mentioned.
“And the Tour? It is as much as us as a staff to see how properly we will mix his targets with these of Remco. That is one thing we’re already engaged on.”
