Joris Nieuwenhuis plans to make a CX debut in Merksplas: "Joris is no longer ill, but we monitor his condition daily to prevent a possible relapse"

Joris Nieuwenhuis was "one of the best of the rest" of the cyclocross peloton last winter. Normally, his CX season would've been about to start any day now, but instead, the Dutch champion is sidelined due to zona (shingles) diagnosis two weeks ago.

"His situation is now stable and the recovery process has started well", Ridley Racing Team reports. "Although Joris is no longer ill, we monitor his condition daily to prevent a possible relapse."

"The goal is to see Joris back in action during the races of the weekend of 16-17 November." This means that Nieuwenhuis will normally pin on a number for the first time this season in Merksplas (Superprestige).

"For the rest of the season, the focus is on performing consistently in the World Cup races, with the goal of growing towards the championships." Nieuwenhuis is already training again, but is not going full throttle yet. "We will continue to monitor his health closely and are working hard on a full recovery. His health is the most important thing," the team emphasizes.