Remco Evenepoel says he’s still not ready to return to racing
The young Belgian star is still hoping to race the 2021 Giro d’Italia

Remco Evenepoel after crashing at Il Lombardia 2020 (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Remco Evenepoel says he’s still not ready to return to racing after his awful crash last season.
The Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider has been out of competition since the 2020 Il Lombardia last August, when he suffered a fractured pelvis after crashing into a ravine during the Italian Monument.
Despite making great progress early in his recovery, the 20-year-old have revealed a slight setback in his return to racing, but still hopes to race his first Grand Tour this season.
In an interview with Belgian cycling website Wielerflits, Evenepoel said: “There were minor problems in my recovery.
“Near where the fractures were, I'm still in pain. Sitting in the saddle for a long time hurts. It takes a bit longer before I can get back on the bike 100 per cent.”
Evenepoel was forced to end his season after he hit a low wall on a bridge and fell into a ravine during Lombardia.
His injuries included a pelvis fracture and a contusion to his right lung, as he was kept in hospital overnight for observation.
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Evenepoel said he has now been back off the bike for a few weeks, instead running and swimming to keep up his fitness.
He added: “At the moment I am not training with my team-mates yet. I am working on an individual programme. But I am not panicking. I am not really behind schedule, because from the outset it was said I would not be one hundred per cent again until February.”
Due to his injuries, Evenepoel was forced to miss his highly-anticipated Grand Tour debut at the 2020 Giro d’Italia, but he still plans to race over three weeks in 2021 despite the setback.
Evenepoel said he wants to race the Giro in May, but said the Tour de France is not an option.
>>> Miguel Ángel López forced to miss his first Movistar training camp after coronavirus positive
Deceuninck - Quick-Step are currently holding their winter training camp, with star sprinter Mark Cavendish meeting up with his team-mates as he has signed with Belgian WorldTour squad for the new season.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.