03/06/2023

Taco van der Hoorn still suffering with concussion from Ronde van Vlaanderen: “Overstimulation is often followed by headaches and fatigue”

Taco van der Hoorn cannot defend his title in the Brussels Cycling Classic, because he is still hampered by the concussion he suffered at Ronde van Vlaanderen in early April. It is still unknown when the Dutch baroudeur of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty can take action again.

"The last two months I have done what I can to recover from my crash in the Tour of Flanders, but unfortunately the consequences of my concussion do not allow me to exercise intensively," Van der Hoorn explains on the team website. “Overstimulation is often followed by headaches and fatigue.”

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Van der Hoorn is working with the medical staff of the Belgian team and with doctors in the hospital on his comeback, with his health being closely monitored. “Under the guidance of neurologists, I do exercises to train my brain and improve my concentration, hoping to gradually regain my full brain capacity,” he says.

The rehabilitation does not go up in a straight line, acknowledges 29-year-old Van der Hoorn. “Therefore, it is impossible to determine when I will be healed enough to return to regular physical activity.” The race program of the stage winner in the Giro d'Italia 2021 is therefore empty for the time being.