Latest news with #Pijl
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Remco Evenepoel wins on return from horror crash
Remco Evenepoel made his competitive return in spectacular fashion by winning the Brabantse Pijl in Flanders on Friday, four months after suffering serious injuries in a crash. The Soudal-Quick Step rider was locked in an intense battle with compatriot Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a bike) for much of the final portion of the race, before emerging victorious in a sprint to the line. Evenepoel, a double Olympic champion, said before the race that he thought his cycling career may be over in December after he crashed into a postal vehicle's open door while he was on a training ride. The 25-year-old Belgian suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to his rib, shoulder blade and hand, and contusions to his lungs. "I really needed this race to find some answers to all the questions I had, and now I feel a big relief," Evenepoel said. "Winning this race, in a sprint against Wout, gives me a lot of confidence for the next competitions. During the race I felt that the legs were pretty good, so I decided to attack and we opened a gap. "It made us believe in our chances, and we kept going until it was just me and Wout in the closing kilometre. I felt that I was strong in the finale and gave my best there. It was a perfect day for us and it brought me a lot of satisfaction." It was Evenepoel's first win since he retained his world road time trial title in Zurich, Switzerland in September. Evenepoel will next race in the Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, which he has won twice.
Reuters
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Evenepoel thought he might have to retire after horror crash
April 17 (Reuters) - Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel thought his cycling career may be over after his horror crash in December, he said on Thursday, a day before his comeback race in the Brabantse Pijl. The 25-year-old Belgian suffered multiple injuries in the accident, including fractures to his rib, shoulder blade and hand, contusions to his lungs, and a dislocation of his right clavicle that left the surrounding ligaments torn. He crashed into a postal vehicle's open door while he was on a training ride in Oetingen, Belgian media reported. "Of course, the injuries were quite severe," Evenepoel said in a video press conference when asked if he thought about retirement. "With my shoulder, where all the muscles, all the ligaments were destroyed, the surgery was a heavy one. "It was just a difficult period, the second time for the same shoulder in six months. So at a certain point, you start to doubt, will the shoulder be healthy again? Will it be functional again?" The Soudal-Quick Step rider, who finished third in last year's Tour de France, said he also suffered a nerve problem in his shoulder. "This one has not healed yet, so there's a part of the shoulder muscle that is not working at all for the moment. If I were a tennis, a volleyball or basketball player, my career would have been over. Luckily I'm a cyclist," he said. Evenepoel has suffered several big crashes in recent years such as at the 2020 Giro di Lombardia and when he fell in the Tour of the Basque Country, an accident also involving two-times Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard. "It's not the first big crash that I've had. Coming out of a period of off-season did not make it any easier knowing that everybody was starting to train again and I had to wait for six more weeks doing absolutely nothing," the reigning time trial world champion told reporters. Evenepoel will start the Brabantse Pijl on Friday before racing the Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, which he has won twice (2022 and 2023). "I'm behind my top shape, but I'm still in a good shape. Will it be enough to beat guys like (Tom) Pidcock and (Tadej) Pogacar, who are in the shapes of their lives, I don't know," Evenepoel said. When asked if he could beat Pogacar, he said: "If I don't believe it, I won't be at the start... If I have good legs, why not."
NBC Sports
15-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Remco Evenepoel returning to cycling after serious crash
BRUSSELS — Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel will return in the Brabantse Pijl race at home in Belgium after a serious crash last year. Evenepoel, who swept golds in the road race and the time trial at last year's Paris Olympics, sustained multiple fractures, a dislocated collarbone and lung contusions in December when he crashed into a vehicle while training in Belgium. 'I am counting the days until I can race with the guys again for the first time in more than six months,' Evenepoel said in a statement provided by his Soudal Quick-Step team. 'I've worked hard all these months, I've been on a solid training camp in Spain, and I feel good and motivated for Brabantse. I'm not going there with any specific goals, as the most important thing will be to get the race rhythm back after all this time.' The 25-year-old Evenepoel crashed into the open door of a postal van on Dec. 3. The impact was heavy enough to break the frame of his bicycle. Evenepoel's main goal this season is the Tour de France in July. He was third last year at cycling's biggest race, before going on to become the first cyclist to sweep both road golds at an Olympics. A two-time world champion, Evenepoel also won the Spanish Vuelta in 2022.
Washington Post
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel returning to cycling this week after serious crash
BRUSSELS — Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel will return in the Brabantse Pijl race at home in Belgium on Friday after a serious crash last year. Evenepoel, who swept golds in the road race and the time trial at last year's Paris Olympics, sustained multiple fractures, a dislocated collarbone and lung contusions in December when he crashed into a vehicle while training in Belgium. 'I am counting the days until I can race with the guys again for the first time in more than six months,' Evenepoel said in a statement provided by his Soudal Quick-Step team on Tuesday. 'I've worked hard all these months, I've been on a solid training camp in Spain, and I feel good and motivated for Brabantse. I'm not going there with any specific goals, as the most important thing will be to get the race rhythm back after all this time.' The 25-year-old Evenepoel crashed into the open door of a postal van on Dec. 3. The impact was heavy enough to break the frame of his bicycle. Evenepoel's main goal this season is the Tour de France in July. He was third last year at cycling's biggest race, before going on to become the first cyclist to sweep both road golds at an Olympics. A two-time world champion, Evenepoel also won the Spanish Vuelta in 2022. ___ AP cycling:
