Major update on recovering Remco Evenepoel in his bid to race the Tour de France

Some big news with a major update on recovering Remco Evenepoel in his bid to race the Tour de France. The current world TT champion seems to progressing nicely after his brutal crash at the Itzulia Basque Country.

Three weeks after the accident, Remco Evenepoel logged his first ride on Strava on Thursday. He was riding outdoors in Lennik, Belgium.

The Itzulia Basque Country race was halted due to a frightening crash involving a dozen riders near the finish line. Among the injured were pre-race favorites like Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard, and Primoz Roglic, with many sustaining significant injuries. Particularly alarming was the sight of Vingegaard being stretchered off the course. After the race, Evenepoel underwent surgery for a broken collarbone and shoulder blade.

First ride outside

The caption for his Strava ride, titled “On My Way Back Soon” on YouTube, which could indicate an upcoming feature on his channel, that would give his followers a sneak peek behind the scenes of his recovery.

His Thursday training ride was 98.75 km with an elevation gain of 685m, and he finished it in just under three hours. He was back at it Friday. “Up the dose,” read the caption, presumably referring to a longer ride at 129.25 km, in just under four hours.

Better off than some of his peers

The Soudal – QuickStep rider is certainly recovering faster than some of the other victims of crashes this spring, including Vingegaard. He had significant injuries, including a punctured lung, broken collarbone, ribs, and finger. The punctured lung was the most concerning, necessitating a prolonged hospital stay for safety reasons. However, his recent discharge from the hospital is a positive development. Whether or not he will have enough time to resume training to prepare for the 2024 Tour de France is still a big unknown.

The same can be said for fellow Belgian Wout van Aert. However, Vingegaard’s Visma – Lease a Bike teammate is already back riding–although certainly not at the level of training before his crash. Van Aert’s recovery shows positive progress as he continues to regain fitness after his severe crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen in March. Recently, he completed his longest ride since the accident, covering nearly 94 km near his home in Herentals, Belgium. The crash, which occurred during the Tour of Flanders buildup, also affected other contenders like Jasper Stuyven and Biniam Girmay. It happened after the Berg Ten Houte climb due to crosswinds and positioning issues, leading to splits in the peloton and a substantial crash involving around a dozen riders with 68 km remaining in the race.

If Evenepoel can continue to log in the miles, then he will head to an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada in the coming week.

Ideally, he can get enough form to compete at Tour de France lead-up races like Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse. If that happens, then the chances of him riding his first Tour look positive.