"I can now finally increase the hours on the bike" - Shirin van Anrooij makes an important step in recovery from her injury
Cycling
Shirin van Anrooij rightfully belongs to the "Golden 2002 generation" of Dutch women's cycling (along with Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse). However, the former U23 Cyclocross World champion was alrady forced to completely scratch this winter from her plans and even her road season is in danger due to annoying injury which required a surgery.
"January is finally here, which means the surgery was two months ago and I can now increase the hours on the bike," the Dutch rider writes on her Instagram account. The 22-year-old rider can finally train more and more often, which is a very important step in her recovery process.
Earlier this year it became clear that the cause of her problems was a narrowed femoral artery, a condition that prevents cyclists from using their full power in their legs during strenuous exercise. "It was a scary discovery at first. But I had a successful operation and now I have a smile on my face again," she said at the time.
Although the road to full recovery will take some time, Van Anrooij is determined to return to her highest level. It is expected that it will take about four months before she can compete again. The cyclo-cross season was therefore over before it had even begun, but Van Anrooij will also miss out on a large part of the road season.
Despite the longer recovery time, Van Anrooij remained positive and looked to the future with confidence. She emphasized then that the support she receives from her family, friends, teammates and staff members is essential. "It was great. It makes the process a lot easier."
In Zeeland, Van Anrooij will now start the great unknown, with her first rides on the bike as part of her recovery behind her. The rider is in any case determined to find her way back to the top, although it is still too early to say when she will make her competition comeback.
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