Dylan Groenewegen will trip the Giro d’Italia, which begins the day after the top of his nine-month suspension for smashing Fabio Jakobsen right into a barrier at the Tour of Poland, his crew, Jumbo-Visma, mentioned Tuesday.
Groenewegen has not raced since August 5 when he provoked a crash within the dash at the top of the primary stage in Poland that left fellow Dutch sprinter Jakobsen with accidents that included a number of cranium fractures.
Groenewegen has been known as into the Jumbo-Visma squad for the Giro, which begins in Turin on May 8, to exchange Australian Chris Harper, who’s struggling from an eye fixed downside, the crew mentioned in a press release.
“We have determined that his place will go to Dylan,” said Merijn Zeeman, the team’s sporting director. “Dylan is one of our leaders, but he has not been able to race for a long time due to his long suspension.
“We had mapped out a nice program for him that would allow him to return to the peloton in the shadows. However, due to corona, the Tour of Norway has already been postponed and it remains to be seen whether the other races he would ride will remain on the calendar.
“After nine months without racing it is the intention for Dylan to return to competition.”
“He can have to discover his place within the peloton after all the pieces that has occurred. That is now the precedence,” said Zeeman.
The team will field another sprinter, Dutchman David Dekker, and did not lay out any targets for Groenewegen, the winner of four Tour de France stages between 2017 and 2019.
“I have received many heart warming messages after all that has happened, but I am also taking into account some negative reactions on my return. That might happen anyway,” Groenewegen mentioned.
Jakobsen returned to racing earlier this month within the Tour of Turkey.
“I’ve spoken with Fabio earlier than he went to Turkey and it was good to see how nicely he did there,” said Groenewegen. “I am very much looking forward to racing again myself too now and I am glad that I can do that in a beautiful race like the Giro d’Italia.”
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