"I'm not really 100 percent sure where I'll be fitness wise" - Neilson Powless returns to racing at Eschborn-Frankurt after two months out

For the first time since the 9th of March, Neilson Powless will be back in the peloton later this afternoon at Eschborn-Frankfurt. Ahead of the race, the American discussed his excitement at getting back into the action.

"I'm not really 100 percent sure where I'll be fitness wise for Eschborn-Frankfurt, but I'll be racing tomorrow, and I'm really excited to just get back in the peloton and get back with my teammates and feel the rhythm of a race again," Powless previewed to his EF Education-EasyPost team's official website. "On the bright side, this whole situation has opened up a window for me to race nationals and that's really exciting. I didn't think I was going to be able to race nationals, but now it's in the cards. That is actually something I'm really looking forward to. Nobody wants any injury, but I've got things to look forward to now, which is really nice."

Powless had made no secret of his lofty ambitions in the Spring, so to be forced to miss much of goals was a bitter blow. "It was really disappointing to miss the classics. I was really hoping to be there in Belgium racing, but I just had to see it as an opportunity to cheer on my teammates and spend a bit of extra time with my family," Powless reflects. "It was tough to watch from home, but I just tried to stay positive and just keep telling myself that it was out of my control. At least I've got some strong teammates to watch and it was still an exciting time of year. Luckily I was able to continue exercising. I just wasn't able to ride. So, I was swimming a lot."

Alongside the aforementioned US National Championships, the Tour de France remains a big goal for Powless, who wore the polka-dot jersey for a few days last year. "My prep going into the Tour should still remain the same. Hopefully, this has just given me some added freshness," he assesses. "I'll be in the States for a couple weeks for nationals, and then I'll head back to Europe for some altitude training. After that, I will be racing Tour de Suisse. And then after Suisse, hopefully the Tour de France!"