Roelandts training on the rollers again

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Jürgen Roelandts is back on the bike again, at least on the rollers. He hopes to get back on the road again this week, but knows he won't be racing again until May at the earliest.

The Lotto-Belisol rider suffered a broken vertebra and bruised arteries in a crash at the Tour Down Under last month. He was recently hospitalised for a week with a blood clot which affected the flow of blood to his brain. He is currently taking blood thinners to counteract the problem.

“It's gradually getting better,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “Since this weekend, I have been training on the rollers, twice a day for half an hour. I don't do it every day, but I do try to stay active. In addition I go to the physiotherapist for my shoulder.”

He still suffers some concentration problems as a result of the blood clot. “That's not serious, but if I make a sudden movement, I realize I am still not myself.”

Weather permitting, Roelandts hopes to get back on the road this week. “I may not train on my own. I will do so in the company of others. I look forward to returning to cycling.”

His return to racing will have to wait a while, however. “I must go under the scanner again in early May. Until then I will certainly not race. I will be happy if I get the green light.”