How are Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel doing? Physio and good friend Thijs has the answer

"Do you folks know Thijs Hertsens? No? No worries, we hadn't heard of him until Wednesday either. However, the 33-year-old Belgian is becoming a household name in his own country, now that, as a physiotherapist, he's tasked with getting both Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel back fully fit on the bike. Consequently, several Flemish media outlets knocked on his door for an interview.

Hertsens works for LAB Antwerp. That Van Aert and Evenepoel sought him out after their crashes in Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Ronde van het Baskenland was no coincidence. "I've known Wout since he was exclusively a cyclo-cross rider. But we really got to know each other during his rehabilitation after that fall in the 2019 Tour. I accompanied Wout through that long period. For six months, every day, with all the highs and lows. That's how you build an intense bond. Ditto for Remco, who ended up in my hands after his fall in the Tour of Lombardy," he explained to Het Nieuwsblad.

"Meanwhile, Wout and Remco are no longer just clients for me; they're friends, with a certain level of respect that must be maintained," continued Hertsens, who, with such stars as clients, naturally also interacts with the medical departments of Visma | Lease a Bike and Soudal-Quick Step. "There's always contact between myself and the team's performance staff, as well as with Doctor Steven Claes from Herentals who performed the surgeries. This happens in a very respectful manner. If Steven has any doubts, he won't hesitate to inform me and possibly make adjustments. I do feel that everyone trusts my expertise. However, the stakes are high. Consequently, the parties involved won't hesitate to voice their opinions."

Evenepoel is on track, Van Aert needs to be patient

Main question to the physio: How are Van Aert and Evenepoel doing? "With Remco, the damage wasn't too bad, a broken collarbone and a crack in the shoulder blade. They sometimes say you have to have broken your collarbone to call yourself a rider. He's on this one. With Wout, the impact of the trauma on his body was a lot bigger. Above all, you have to give him time," it sounds. Evenepoel has the Tour de France as his main goal in the summer, Van Aert wants to go to the Olympics in Paris. "In Remco's case, not much has changed. He missed Amstel and Luik, but his preparation for the Tour can start on schedule. About Wout, we can't make any statements yet."

Speaking to Sporza, Hertsens explained that Van Aert's injury was quite significant. It was for that reason that it was soon decided to skip the Giro d'Italia. "It is still a long way before his ribs will be fully recovered, but he is going in the right direction. The feedback after the first ride was already positive. His thoracic region was badly battered anyway, so we really had to monitor everything carefully. How is he breathing? What is his heart rate? What is the effect of different efforts? We have to keep doing that now, especially since it's an Olympic year. We cannot skip steps."