Just a few hours remain before the Brabantse Pijl and Remco Evenepoel's return to racing. The Belgian will return to the peloton after the accident he had last December while training in Belgium.

Speaking about the months without light for Soudal-Quick Step is Jurgen Foré, the team's top executive. Foré went straight to the point, explaining that not only Remco has been sidelined for several months, but other team riders have been forced to stop, highlighting an extremely unfortunate period.

"Besides the unavailability of Remco Evenepoel, which everyone knows well, we have had nine other riders simultaneously out of action. That's a third of our group, and it's an enormous number. I hope therefore that Remco's return to racing at the Brabantse Pijl is a symbol of the misfortune finally leaving us".

Jurgen Foré knows cycling well, not only because he raced when very young, but because he is the son of Noël Foré, winner of Paris-Roubaix in 1959 and the Tour of Flanders in 1963, as well as Gent-Wevelgem in 1958.

"The winter has obviously not been easy for Remco. Seeing his teammates go to Spain for the first group training camps, while he was still forced to stay still, was quite difficult. Beyond the help of his family, we supported him as much as possible as a team. He has been working for several years with a close-knit core consisting of his coach Koen Pelgrim, his sports director Klaas Lodewijck, his masseur, and our doctor Philip Jansen. Rather than creating too many different contacts around him, we have privileged this quartet as his most direct contact. We also have a mental coach available for riders who might need one. I am in continuous contact with Remco, mostly via WhatsApp, his preferred communication method".

Soudal-Quick Step has created a strong group around Remco, and tomorrow the Belgian will return to racing. He will not immediately seek victory, but the Brabantse Pijl will be an important test for him both physically and mentally. "I made sure Remco had the best rehabilitation structure and we did not try to rush his return. During our official presentation at the beginning of January, we thought it would be too painful for him to come to Calpe. Seeing his teammates pedal would have increased his frustration at not being able to get back on the bike. For this reason, we later asked him to accompany part of our Giro selection to a training camp in Sierra Nevada. He really liked it because he rediscovered that team atmosphere he loves".

Evenepoel has a determined character and has always played the role of leader in the team. His absence has been felt, but fortunately the team could count on riders like Tim Merlier, Ilan Van Wilder, and Maximilian Schachmann, who could take on an important role in the team, especially as guides for younger riders. "With 11 victories since the start of the season, we have also shown that our team is not just about Remco, who remains our most important rider. We can therefore say we are a great group. We know we are not the only strong team and we know we must compete with very strong teams, like the UAE Team with Pogačar or Alpecin with van der Poel. But we have shown we can do well on many occasions and we will continue to do so".