Annemiek van Vleuten: Olympic champion is back on the bike after suffering nasty injuries at Paris-Roubaix

ByEurosport

Published 19/10/2021 at 10:47 GMT

Annemiek van Vleuten has a history of coming back strong from nasty injuries. She bounced back from severe concussion and three fractures to her spine at the 2016 Olympics and broke her wrist at the Giro d’Italia Donne in 2020. In 2021, the 39-year-old is on a quicker road to recovery than expected after a season-ending crash at the Paris-Roubaix Femmes on October 2.

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) is riding again just two weeks after fracturing her shoulder and pelvis in two places during a wet first edition of the Paris-Roubaix Femmes.

The crash ended the world number one's season and said in the aftermath: “Result is broken pubic bone in two places and a long recovery staying in bed coming up."

Instead, it took the Olympic time trial champion just two days to get back on an exercise bike and 10 days to get back outside on a bike.

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The Dutch rider has updated her supporters this week, telling them her recovery is going well.

“The road to recovery has begun,” Van Vleuten said in a blog post on her website.

“In the meantime, I have already gone three times to make a round on my city bike. There I sit so upright and also on a very soft and wide saddle, that this was actually painless.

“Last Tuesday I took my first ride. After 16 kilometres I was completely exhausted, but it went! Pain is still my guide in what I should and shouldn't do, but as long as I don't feel pain I can load and move.”

Before her injury, Van Vleuten was enjoying an excellent season, winning the Tour of Flanders and Challenge by La Vuelta - and the highlight of the time trial at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The two-time Giro d’Italia Donne winner said she had a check up at Rijnstate hospital last week as she targets a return for the inaugural Tour de France Femmes in July 2022.

She added: “Everything looked good and the doctors are confident that I can fully recover from this without any problems.”

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