Gloag set for return at Czech Tour after long rehabilitation

The 22-year-old Gloag, now in his second contract year with the Dutch team, collided with a car during a training session last August. “I was riding home after a recovery training,” Gloag recalls the painful memory. “Suddenly, I was hit by a car, and I broke my kneecap. What I remember is looking at my left leg after the collision and seeing that my kneecap didn’t look right.”

“At the moment, I feel happy and healthy again,” Gloag continues. “I have completed a good training block. It feels like a victory that I can finally return to racing. A race is, of course, very different from training. I am looking forward to pinning a race number again and returning to the peloton with my teammates. I finally feel like a cyclist again.”

“I am immensely grateful to everyone”

Tom Gloag

The rider from East Dulwich says he went through a difficult period. “It was certainly not an easy time. However, with the support of many people, I managed to get through it. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank physiotherapists Richard Spink and Marjolein Dukker. They helped me step by step in the right direction. Physical coach Jarno Voorintholt also helped me a lot, as did everyone within Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Without them, the past period would have been even harder. My girlfriend Lucinda has been the indispensable link in the whole process. Without her, I don’t know if I would be standing here with the same mindset.”

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Gloag is looking forward to the coming week. “I am mainly focused on gaining race rhythm. Results are not the priority, and I shouldn’t expect that from myself either. We are starting with a balanced team where Johannes Staune-Mittet and Koen Bouwman will be the key riders for the general classification.”

Alongside Gloag, Dario Belletta also makes his return to the peloton this week. The Italian broke his jaw in the recent Tour de Bretagne. “He also went through a tough rehabilitation process, but we are glad that he can start here again,” adds sports director Robert Wagner.

“We have a nicely mixed team here”

Robert Wagner

Wagner is enthusiastic about the balanced team he is taking to the Czech Republic. “We have a nicely mixed team here, consisting of experienced and talented guys. Koen Bouwman and Milan Vader are the most experienced riders. They can teach our U23 riders a lot. Johannes won a stage here last year as U23 rider, but unfortunately had to abandon the next day due to illness. He is motivated to seek revenge. For Matthew Brennan, it’s a great opportunity to compete in the sprints against riders from seven other WorldTour teams.”

“It is now time to give something back to all the people who helped me,” Gloag concludes. “I am immensely grateful to everyone and will never forget how well they treated me. There are too many people to mention, but I want to make them proud now. I want to do that by giving my best on the bike, starting in the upcoming Czech Tour.”

In addition to Gloag, Belletta, Bouwman, Vader, Staune-Mittet, and Brennan, Morten Nørtoft completes the seven-man squad of Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Subjects

Cycling – World Tour men

Thomas Gloag
Robert Wagner