Injuries Tim van Dijke are too familiar to Visma | Lease a Bike, which also knows when Kooij will compete again
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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike has not yet been able to shake off the injury curse in 2024. The Dutch team suffered three setbacks in two days this week: Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle unfortunately crashed out in the Critérium du Dauphiné, while ZLM Tour leader Tim van Dijke, who was second in the GC, had to abandon the Dutch race.
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Van Dijke crashed at a silly moment during the third stage of the ZLM Tour, where he was still in contention for the overall victory after a strong time trial on day one. A rider from Bingoal-WB, while taking a feed bag from the roadside, fell and took several riders down with him, including Van Dijke and Morten Aalling Nortoft from Visma | Lease a Bike.
Continuing was no longer an option for the rider who had his breakout season this year in the Giro d'Italia and spring races. "Incredibly bitter," team director Arthur van Dongen called it the next day in an interview with IDLProCycling.com. "Tim bruised his ribs, and it was very painful. He also had severe abrasions. Additionally, his head was hit, and we feared a concussion, but that was not confirmed at the hospital in Maastricht."
Mick van Dijke and Kooij almost return to competition
Van Dijke now faces a period of rest, a few days earlier than expected and hoped for. Meanwhile, his brother Mick is set to make his comeback: he has been struggling with a knee injury since Paris-Roubaix, but will make his return to racing at the Baloise Belgium Tour. He will be joined by Olav Kooij, who had to withdraw due to illness during the Giro d'Italia. The Dutch sprinter will compete from June 12 in Belgium against the likes of Fabio Jakobsen and Jasper Philipsen.
Thus, some of the Visma | Lease a Bike riders are leaving the sick bay, as Robert Gesink (hand fracture in the Giro), Cian Uijtdebroeks (sick in the Giro), and Wilco Kelderman (broken collarbone in Paris-Nice) also make their returns in the Tour of Switzerland. Following the withdrawals of Kruijswijk and Van Baarle in the Critérium du Dauphiné, Visma | Lease a Bike has decided to wait until after Switzerland to make further decisions.
Tom Dumoulin suggested including Kooij in the selection for the Tour de France, but that does not seem likely at the moment. However, after all the events of the past months, Visma | Lease a Bike is still keeping an open mind regarding that possibility.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026