In Britain, Steven Kruijswijk returns to competition after Criterium du Dauphiné crash: "I can't wait to put on a jersey again"

Sunday, 03 September 2023 at 10:00

Steven Kruijswijk, the 36-year-old Dutch veteran, is set to make his long-awaited return to competition at the Tour of Britain. After a period of rehabilitation following a hard crash on the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphine in June, Kruijswijk is ready to get back on the road.

"I'm fine," Kruijswijk declared in a press release issued by Jumbo-Visma. "I've been training a lot lately. I feel ready for this race. I'm looking forward to wearing a cycling jersey again. I broke my collarbone and pelvis in June, so I couldn't ride a bike for a while. It's disappointing to miss the Tour and the Vuelta like that. As a consequence, I lost part of my season. With the support of my family, I managed to get through this period well."

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Kruijswijk's injury not only kept him out of the Tour de France, but also prevented him from competing in the Vuelta a España. However, his determination and dedication to recovery have brought him back to the start line.

The Dutch climber took his time to recover properly. "After six or seven weeks, I got back on the bike. The whole time I was working on the shoulder with a physiotherapist. I'm still doing it. I've been working hard to get back to racing. Now that time has come. It's great that it's still possible this season. I want to compete in as many races as possible in the remainder of the season," shared Kruijswijk, visibly excited about his return to racing.

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This year's Tour of Britain presents an exciting challenge for Kruijswijk and his team. The race consists of eight stages, with five of them being flat and three with hilly terrain. Kruijswijk expressed his ambitions for the team: "We want to win the sprint with Olav Kooij. Wout van Aert is also a contender in these stages, but he has a chance in all of them. The last three stages are a bit more in his favor. If we finish in front every day, the final classification will be excellent. We'll start full of ambition".

For Kruijswijk, getting back into the race rhythm is his main goal in this comeback. "After three months without racing, I have to get my rhythm back. I still lack race pace. I hope to get it back next week. The intention is to use this race to get stronger. I also want to be important for the team. I hope I can contribute to good results. Above all, I want to enjoy my return to competition".