• Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 9:45 AM
Lars van den Berg is doing effectively. The Dutchman celebrated his twenty sixth birthday within the Tour de France on Sunday, however this 12 months he’s doing in order a customer. The Groupama-FDJ rider has been sidelined for the reason that finish of February, after he misplaced consciousness within the Faun Drôme Traditional. An infected coronary heart muscle now seems to be the trigger. He’s now trying forward once more, he tells WielerFlits.
The distinction with a 12 months earlier might hardly be better. Every week and a half earlier than the 2023 Tour de France, Van den Berg obtained a name from his crew. Fully stunned, he was instructed within the Limburg hills – the place he was coaching along with his youthful brother Marijn – that he was anticipated in Bilbao every week later for the beginning of La Grande Boucle. A message he didn’t anticipate, however all the higher that he might be there. In spite of everything, it was the final Tour of chief Thibaut Pinot, which meant that Van den Berg skilled a French madhouse for a month.
The Dutchman has been doing effectively with Marc Madiot’s French crew since his skilled debut. At the start of this 12 months, he nonetheless hoped to take part within the Tour once more, however barely a month later, destiny struck. Van den Berg misplaced consciousness in Faun Drôme Traditional after which fell. He had one among his greatest days on the bike ever, however instantly felt light-headed. He, his teammates and Sjoerd Bax – who instantly received off to assist – have been very scared. It quickly grew to become clear that it was no peculiar fall and Van den Berg himself felt horrible.
photograph: Cor Vos
Medical mill
Afterwards, he needed to relaxation for 3 months and was subjected to every kind of checks to seek out the trigger. On the finish of June, Van den Berg had his final scans and within the meantime he is aware of what was the trigger. It additionally signifies that he can go away an extended, unsure interval behind him and might sit up for his sporting future once more. “I am doing effectively,” he tells WielerFlits on the remainder day. “I am getting higher and higher. Final week I began rehabilitation. That takes 4 to 6 months, which does imply that the season is over for me.”
The Dutchman is not going to be in motion this 12 months. “The issue has now been solved, which implies I can now progressively put extra pressure on myself. If I don’t encounter something unusual within the coming interval, I ought to usually be capable of compete once more in 2025. No less than that’s what I hope for, I don’t anticipate to come across something. Though after all you by no means know. Nevertheless it’s good {that a} trigger has been discovered and that I’ve began my rehabilitation.” The trigger turned out to be an infected coronary heart muscle, he stated on Tuesday night in The Night Stage. He would not have to fret about his future with the crew, at the least. He nonetheless has a operating contract.
Encouraging little brother
Marijn van den Berg – photograph: Cor Vos
The all-rounder will not be bored. He makes his personal podcast along with Niels Willemse Biking Insidethe place they usually method their topics from a distinct angle than different podcasts. This units them other than the big selection of biking podcasts. As well as, Van den Berg made his debut as a co-commentator at Eurosport in Could. He was heard throughout Eschborn-Frankfurt, various levels within the Giro d’Italia, the NK and the primary Tour levels. On Monday, he can be a visitor at De Avondetappe. Van den Berg is within the Tour to encourage his youthful brother Marijn. After all, he additionally visited his personal crew.