"Restore his confidence" - Arkéa Samsic draw up plan for Nacer Bouhanni as Frenchman is set to return to competition

Nacer Bouhanni is no stranger to crashes, and his 2022 season was once again marked by one. The Arkéa Samsic has not raced since April, but is ready to make his return as he also returns to World Tour level.

“We know that Nacer often wins several races during a season. We have therefore drawn up a program for him at the start of the year which can give him the possibility of achieving this quickly," team sports manager Théo Ouvrard said in a press release. "The objective during these first competitions is to restore his confidence so that he can perform again quickly."

Bouhanni crashed at high speed at the second stage of this year's Tour of Turkey when a pedestrian moved onto the road. He fractured a cervical vertebra, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. He's talked about how he would trade all of his career wins for his health in a more recent interview, but is hoping to stay on the bike for the coming season. 

“He will go to Tirreno-Adriatico with probably less pressure, because his performances are above all in one-day races, with real chances of winning, without obviously neglecting stage races. Following his year 2022, priority will be given for his resumption of one-day events," Ouvrard concluded.