Important lead-out rider finally returns to racing for Unibet Rose Rockets on Thursday

The Boucles de la Mayenne begins on Thursday with a prologue, but the French stage race will also be especially important for the return of Olav Kooij to the peloton. The new signing of Decathlon CMA CGM is not the only rider making his comeback, though. Rory Townsend is also finally pinning on a race number again for the Unibet Rose Rockets, the team announced on X.

Townsend joined this season from Pinarello Q36.5 for an adventure with the Rockets. The Irishman was an important man in Dylan Groenewegen’s lead-out train and was part of the team that took the season’s first win at the Classica Comunitat Valenciana.

Things went wrong for Townsend at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, however. The Irishman crashed after around 60 kilometres and broke his shinbone. A long recovery followed for the rouleur, but now there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. On Thursday, he returns at the Boucles de la Mayenne.

During his recovery, Townsend was at least able to enjoy his team’s Grand Tour debut, even if it was not always comfortable. "It is never easy to watch racing from the sofa, especially when the team is doing brilliantly. But my body needed more time".

Still, the Irishman got a lot out of the Rockets’ Giro period. "It was fantastic to see the boys active in the Giro. I kept myself busy analysing and talking about our team".

Now it is finally time for Townsend to get back on the bike himself. "I am so happy to be back. On Thursday I start in the Boucles de la Mayenne and I cannot wait to pin on a race number again after three months. Time to finally do what I love most," he said happily.

In the four-day French race, Townsend will line up alongside team-mates Lander Loockx, Jelle Johannink, Owen Geleijn, Ronan Augé and the in-form Clément Venturini. With Matthew Brennan, Mads Pedersen and the returning Kooij, the French race can still count on a strong start list.

Boucles de la Mayenne begins on Thursday evening with a 5.4-kilometre prologue.