Alpecin-Premier Tech dealing with a full injury list: updates on Groves and five more riders

Alpecin-Premier Tech has had a disrupted spring. With Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel at the helm, the Belgian team has still managed to rack up victories — but a lengthy injury list has caused its fair share of problems. Kaden Groves and Florian Sénéchal are among those who have been sidelined, and the team has now released an update on its missing riders.

Maurice Ballerstedt is one of them. The German rode for the team for three years before leaving after 2024, spending last year racing criteriums and gravel events in the United States. He re-signed with the team for 2026, but his return has not gone smoothly. He abandoned Paris-Nice and has since had surgery for a saddle sore. The team confirmed via Instagram that he is gradually working his way back to racing.

Lindsay De Vylder is another new face. The 30-year-old Belgian made the move from Team Flanders-Baloise and was expected to add real strength to the team's Classics roster. He came down hard at Paris-Nice, however, fracturing his hip. His recovery is going well, but a return to racing is not imminent. The team is targeting early June for his comeback.

Alongside Van der Poel and Philipsen, Groves was set to be a key piece of the spring puzzle. But the Australian sprinter had been nursing a knee problem for some time. He abandoned Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and has not raced since, missing the entire spring Classics season as a result. He is expected to be fit for the Giro d'Italia, and is currently on an altitude training camp with the team.

Michael Gogl played an important role in service of Van der Poel during the spring Classics, but has not raced since the Tour of Flanders. He turned out to have a tear in his quadriceps — a significant muscle injury in the upper leg. He faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with a return around mid-June a realistic possibility.

For Alpecin-Premier Tech, Henri Uhlig had been one of the surprises of the spring. The young German took his first professional win at the Étoile de Bessèges and finished fourth at the GP Denain. He then crashed in the Tour of Catalonia and broke his collarbone, ending his spring. He has already resumed training, though, and is expected back on the bike next month.

The final update concerns Sénéchal. The Frenchman was one of Van der Poel's most important support riders during the Classics, but has since fallen ill after his spring campaign. He will miss the Tour of Turkey, which starts on Sunday. How quickly he returns will depend on how his symptoms develop.