"These guys are amazing in terms of recovering fast" - Johan Bruyneel dismisses concerns over Remco Evenepoel's training crash

There was great concern for Remco Evenepoel earlier this week after it was revealed the Soudal - Quick-Step leader had been rushed to hospital after a training accident. Despite injuries such as a dislocated collarbone and perforated lung though, Johan Bruyneel doesn't expect Evenepoel's Tour de France hopes to be disrupted.

"If you look at cycling, the biggest risks are actually when a cyclist is training. You're on the road, amongst traffic and Remco wasn't doing any specific intensity or efforts, he was just riding in Belgium," begins Bruyneel on the latest episode of 'The Move' podcast. "I would guess he wasn't going very fast, because it was in a little village, but unfortunately he was passing a post van that was stopped to deliver the mail and the driver opened the door and he hit the door."

As touched upon though, Bruyneel doesn't believe the incident will have damaging effects on Evenepoel's goals for the coming year. "The first news is always alarming right. You see the pictures, his bike was broken into two and there was a piece of carbon missing in the top tube, that looks all spectacular. But I would say, given the circumstances, I think he may consider himself lucky that there are no severe injuries," he explains. "As far as I understand, the shoulder blade, the rib and the hand don't require surgery, so that means that it's a clean break or a fracture. The collarbone required some intervention to put it back into place, but I don't expect it to be a big negative in the long term."

It goes without saying though, a crash such as this far from the ideal preparation for the new season for Evenepoel. "We've seen on his social media he was in the US. He did a visit to Specialized and did some tests in the wind tunnel. So he started to ride his bike again basically to get back into the rhythm and start training progressively, so he will have to delay that for a bit," Bruyneel notes. "But I am not worried. He may probably start his season a few weeks later. but it will not have any impact for the Classics and not for the Tour."

"I expect him to be on at least a static bike within the next two or three weeks. That's my guess," Bruyneel concludes his assessment. "He's probably not going to publish it, but these guys are amazing in terms of recovering fast and you know, they're special people, they have a strong will. All things considered, I think it's better that it happens now rather than later on and I'm quite confident that he's going to be okay as soon the Classics start."