UAE Tour winner Lennert Van Eetvelt was lucky to avoid serious injury after being hit by a driver while out training in Tenerife this week.
The Belgian has been working his way back to fitness having been sidelined since early March with a knee issue, missing the Volta a Catalunya in the process.
On Thursday, he was completing his first long endurance training ride since suffering knee problems earlier this spring. However, his seven-hour ride and the rest of his training camp were now majorly disrupted by a driver who hit him on a descent late in his ride.
Van Eetvelt took to Instagram to explain what happened, showing a nasty cut to his chin, a video of the aftermath of the incident, and the damage caused to his bike.
"My first 7-hour ride since my knee issues was almost done, and then I got hit from behind by a car that 'was trying to pass me' on a descent," Van Eetvelt wrote. "I'm really happy I didn't go off the road and can walk away without serious injuries."
Van Eetvelt, who turned pro with Lotto-Dstny last season, had enjoyed a very strong start to 2024, winning the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana at the season-opening Challenge Mallorca.
He then went on to score a big overall win at the UAE Tour, taking the win on the final stage at Jebel Hafeet to beat Ben O'Connor to the victory by two seconds.
11th place at Strade Bianche marked his final race of the spring before knee issues hit, with overuse the likely cause of his troubles.
"When my knee issues first started, I was disappointed not to start in Catalunya," Van Eetvelt continued. "The last few weeks, I was happy to be able to ride my bike a bit. Now, I'm just happy to be alive. It's funny how fast these things can change."
Van Eetvelt said he'll take a few days off the bike "to recover and enjoy the little things in life", thankful that he avoided any serious fractures – or worse.
"Today, there should have been a post about how my recovery was going, about how much support I got in the last few months and what that meant to me, and about how I was looking forward to seeing my teammates again and starting a race as soon as possible.
"Now, I will just take a few days off to recover and enjoy the little things in life. But don't worry, I will come back. The answer to when is just something that I still don't know."
