Laurens De Plus returns to racing in Australia: "We rode fifty per hour for an hour, that was a shock for my body"

Laurens De Plus had been through a rollercoaster of emotions past six months, first getting out of Vuelta a Espana on day 1 with hip fracture, through a long recovery, to propose to his girlfriend Charlotte in Australia on New Year's Day. But now it's time to resume racing for the 28-year-old Belgian.

"I asked Charlotte to marry me on January 1, on a beautiful beach. I was actually planning to ask her after the Vuelta, but that wasn't possible due to the hip fracture and the rehabilitation. Our trip to the United States was canceled then. It was quite a hassle to ship that ring to the other side of the ocean," he explains the complications.

In Australia, De Plus is back on track. And that is not easy after six months of not racing, he tells Het Laatste Nieuws. "It is quite confronting how quickly you lose your sense of direction and your positioning. During the criterium on Sunday we rode fifty per hour for an hour. That was a shock to my body. I don't expect to play a role in the Tour Down Under yet. It is more that it is a change from an altitude camp at El Teide. I come here to get into rhythm."

After the Tour Down Under, De Plus's program includes Paris-Nice and probably Tour and/or the Vuelta. "I am on the longlist for both competitions. I will start as a helper. After the Vuelta I will probably get opportunities to ride for myself. The team has already subtly planned that." De Plus finished tenth at the Giro last year and could therefore ride a classification for himself again. For the Tour Down Under he knows who he sees as favorite: "Simon Yates and Luke Plapp, but Julian Alaphilippe also looks well groomed."