Gerben Kuypers will not show the colours of Charles Liégeois Raostery CX in cyclocross races anymore this season. The 23 year old Belgian rider will extend the rest period he started after the World Cup in Gavere on 26th of December because of health issues and fully concentrate on his recovery and his second road season with the structure of Intermarché-Wanty.
“Gerben Kuypers attracted a viral infection a couple of weeks ago, which then led to a vicious circle of disturbed recovery and fatigue. He especially had respiratory complaints. In the meantime his body is recovering well. We’ll hope he will be fully recovered in a couple of weeks.”
“After two weeks of recovery I'm progressively regaining my strength, however, I don’t feel fully recovered yet. Together we have chosen to take it easy in my comeback rather than to prepare for my last cyclocross races under pressure. It was of course frustrating that my good series of results was interrupted by health problems. But now the causes are identified and we have established a plan for my recovery, I'm very much looking forward to my first road races of 2024 with Wanty-ReUz-Technord and Intermarché-Wanty. From April, I'll participate in several prestigious races. This proves that also the World Team counts on me, which is a nice mark of confidence. I can't wait to get back to training, but first I need to stay patient a little longer in order to fully recover."
"Gerben Kuypers realised an excellent season start in cyclocross. We're of course missing his fighting spirit to make the colours of Charles Liégeois Roastery CX shine. However, within our performance team we all agree that health is a priority. An extended rest period is the best approach. In principle, Gerben planned to conclude his cyclocross season after the championships, in his home race in Middelkerke. As he did not fully recover yet and this race is approaching, we unanimously decided that he would not resume his cyclocross season and focus on his first road races instead."
"After a new medical evaluation of the health condition of Gerben Kuypers, we unanimously decided to stop his cyclocross season in order to give him enough time to prepare his second road season with our structure in a serene way. As for his road programme, we stick with the initial plan we established this winter. He will almost exclusively race with the World Team, which will be a huge step forward compared to his combined programme with Wanty-ReUz-Technord in 2023. Our aim is to select him for a series of races which suit him perfectly, particularly in May and June, such as the classics Tro Bro Léon, Antwerp Port Epic, Brussels Cycling Classic or Dwars door het Hageland, and several stage races such as the Tours of Norway and Belgium. We're looking forward to witness the progression of Gerben, both on the road in 2024 as in the next cyclocross season 2024-2025."
