“I will need more recovery time than I did before” - Remco Evenepoel in more pain than previous crashes after training accident

Remco Evenepoel has been dealt an early blow in his quest for Tour de France glory in 2025 after the Soudal - Quick-Step leader was involved in a crash with a BPost van in Belgium earlier this week. Evenepoel's planned winter training schedule must now be replaced with rest, relaxation and recovery.

“December will be a long month, because I will be able to do almost nothing. I am not allowed to put any weight on my shoulder. Cycling will also be out of the question,” Evenepoel explains in an update with VTM Nieuws.

Evenepoel, like many pro cyclists is certainly no stranger to a nasty crash, but this one in particular is proving more troublesome than those of the past. “I have much more trouble than after my crash in the Itzulia Basque Country,” he notes. “There also more injuries. They had to do some serious hammering on that dislocated collarbone in particular, which destroyed all the surrounding joints. I will need more recovery time than I did before.”

In a way though, early December could be considered the 'perfect' time for a nasty crash. The main goals such as the Tour de France are still many months away, giving the Soudal - Quick-Step leader plenty of time to recover and get back to full fitness ready to challenge for the Maillot Jaune in the summer of 2025.

“This is better now than in April, that’s what I’m thinking. Because then it would have been difficult to make the Tour. It’ll be fine," he explains. “I don’t have another option. The situation is what it is. I can’t turn it around anymore, unfortunately. The intention was to start the new season in the first weekend of March, in the two one-day races in the French Ardèche. That debut will of course have to be postponed. In terms of training, we will see what is still possible in March.”