12 secrets from the Belgian physio who brought van Aert, Evenepoel and other pros back from serious injuries

Ever wondered how pro cyclists bounce back from terrible injuries? We meet the man regarded by many as the best cyclist-fixer in the business

 Lieven Maesschalck in a gym
(Image credit: )

What do Johan Museeuw, Frank Vandenbroucke, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock have in common? Yes, all have Grand Tour stage wins in their palmarès, and yes, all are regarded as among the very best cyclists of their generation. But the other less well known commonality is that they have all trusted the methods of Lieven Maesschalck to help them recover from serious injuries. 

Whether it was Museeuw battling to come back after a motorbike incident in 2000 almost ended his life, van Aert returning from a terrible crash at the 2019 Tour de France, or Evenepoel bouncing back from a horrifying fall into a ravine at Il Lombardia in 2020, Belgian physiotherapist Maesschalck has been the man they have all called in their hour of need. 

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