“It’s nice to be back on the bike” - Arvid de Kleijn targets early return from collarbone injury

Arvid de Kleijn could make a surprise return to racing sooner than expected, after a lengthy layoff from a complex collarbone fracture sustained during the UAE Tour in February. The Tudor Pro Cycling Team sprinter had initially been targeting August for his comeback, but is now hopeful of lining up at the Dutch National Road Championships in Ede later this month.

Speaking to WielerFlits, the Dutchman confirmed his recovery is progressing better than anticipated. “It’s nice to be back on the bike,” he said. “In theory, I would like to ride the Dutch road championship in Ede. It is not yet entirely clear whether I will actually achieve that, but it seems like a good time to get the feeling back.”

De Kleijn’s injury was far from routine. Back in March, he described the damage as “not a classic collarbone fracture”, revealing that the break involved three fragments and bone splinters on the lateral side. “The rehabilitation also takes longer than a normal fracture. I am not allowed to go outside until after six weeks. After twelve weeks, there will probably be another operation to remove the plate. That has to come out first because I can only move my shoulder up to 80 degrees.”

Despite those complications, De Kleijn’s recovery timeline appears to have accelerated. Returning in time for a national championship on home roads in Ede, would mark a personal milestone in his comeback.

De Kleijn joined Tudor Pro Cycling Team in 2023 and quickly established himself as a reliable sprinter, with the highlight of that season coming in Italy where he claimed victory at Milano-Torino. His early 2025 campaign was cut short by the crash in the UAE Tour, but a return to competition this month would be a major boost for both rider and team ahead of the summer racing block.