"I really didn’t know what I could do" - Former Visma | Lease a Bike rider Thomas Gloag on viral infection recovery frustration

Thomas Gloag arrived at Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling ready for a fresh start with a new team over the winter. He opened his account with the team in encouraging fashion with two ten finishes, but by the beginning of March, something wasn't quite right.

The British rider signed for the team after three full seasons with Visma | Lease a Bike. At 24, Gloag hoped the fresh start could see his career move up a gear and present more opportunities at ProTour level.

Gloag looked strong in his season openers at Figuera Champions Classic and the Volta ao Algarve as he picked up 10th in Figuera followed by 11th overall and a final day top five result to make it an encouraging start in black and red.

"I was in pretty good shape in the Figueira Classic, and also in the Algarve," he said on the team's website. "I kept getting better as the race went on. On the final day, I finished fifth, and I felt good."

However, the Faun-Ardeche and Faun Drome classice two weeks later didn't go to plan. Gloag didn't feel right in Ardeche but felt even worse in the following day's Faun Drome Classic as it quickly became clear that he had a virus. He and the team decided to return to their Seiss base and manage the recovery.

“On the Saturday, I was feeling not great, but not terrible. Then on the Sunday, I was really bad and ended up stopping with 50 kilometres to go.”

He continued: “I had a virus, and then some post-viral fatigue. The team managed it well, they were really supportive. Lorenz, and the medical team in Switzerland, have been really good.”

However, with a slow rehabilitation and deterioration of his recovery, it proved a frustrating two months for the Briton. He opened up on the uncertainty and the lack of control in his recovery as particularly challenging.

He explains: “The uncertainty is always hard. We didn’t really know what to do, because we didn’t really know what was wrong. I love racing. I love riding my bike. This is what I do, this is my life.

“For a few weeks, I really didn’t know what I could do. That’s mentally quite challenging, when you don’t have a rehab plan or a timeline of when the illness will go.”

Things did improve, however, and he made a return in mid-May. He rode Rund um Köln on May 17th: “I was really happy to be back with the team, and to help my teammates a little bit.”

After another four weeks training and re-finding his pre-virus level, Gloag GP Gippingen on June 14th, but hopes it's just the beginning for him as he focuses on competing in the finale this weekend.

“I really hope to be a valuable rider for the team from now until the end of the season. I want to be at a consistent level, so that I can compete in the finals of races, and for more than two days. That’s the big thing for me.”