Speaking about his high-speed crash in Itzulia Basque Country, Remco Evenepoel said he will ride a bike indoors for the first time the following week and that his main objectives for 2024 are still the Tour de France and the Paris Olympics.
In an interview with the Soudal Quick Step team podcast, Evenepoel disclosed that he lost control of his bike on the descent, speeding up to 81 kph, due to an uneven road.
He believes he was lucky compared to Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, who spent 12 days in the hospital and had a punctured lung, or Jay Vine, who suffered neck vertebra fractures. He sustained a shattered collarbone and a split shoulder blade.
Ever since, Evenepoel has been resting, eating ice cream, and watching bike races with his family and wife Oumi. He’s already thinking about the Olympics and the Tour de France, and he’ll be returning to work soon.
“I have nothing to complain about. Evenepoel stated, “I feel that my body is getting better every day and that the discomfort is growing less and less.
After breaking his hip at Il Lombardia in 2020, Evenepoel hurried back and had to take more time off. He understands the value of recuperation and rest.
It’s sort of my mid-season break, so I’m trying to enjoy myself and am quite laid back. After the weekend, I hope to resume building up both on and off the bike and return to the professional cycling scene,” he stated.
“To keep the body moving, I did some light gym training and some physiotherapy. Since the weather in Belgium prevents me from riding outside right now, I’m going to give the rollers a shot shortly.
Many theories concerning the cause of the Itzulia Basque Country crash generated a heated discussion over racing safety.
Evenepoel shared his perspective on the events.
He claimed, “If you watch my bike closely, you can see that I took the wrong turn, that it was on the uneven side of the road, and I just lost control of my bike.”
