Sjoerd Bax returns to racing sooner than expected, even though he doubts himself: "Just ride to the feed zone, halfway"

Just three months ago, we were sitting with Sjoerd Bax in a Spanish hotel, discussing the Dutchman's hip injury sustained during a crash in the 2023 Tour of Lombardy. The conversation touched on significant details like a thick pin inserted into the bone. Bax mentioned his return to racing would take a while, speaking in his typically level-headed manner. Yet, by early February, his name surprisingly popped up on Procyclingstats. IDLProCycling.com caught up with him for a quick update.

How are you doing? You mentioned in winter that it would be quite some time before you'd be back racing, yet a few weeks later, you were competing in the Clasica de Almeria...

"It actually went quite quickly, and at some point, I was listed to race even though I wasn’t sure if I was ready. The goal was more about getting some training in and trying to finish. That's been going increasingly better. The past month has seen rapid progress, although I still feel it when accelerating in corners."

What do you feel then?

"A kind of pressure pain in my hip, within the joint itself. It also took a hit, so there's still some inflammation fluid there. That's what I feel."

Is it challenging to race when you're only 90 or 95 percent fit?

"Not really, I actually feel pretty good. I'm making good progress, including with my fitness. Initially, I could only cycle gently, but that allowed me to build my condition in a good way. My hip and my fitness improved bit by bit, hand in hand."

Did you make such a significant leap over the winter that you were truly ready to race again?

"Well, I had my doubts about the first few races. 'Just ride to the feed zone, halfway,' they would say. Then people look at the results and see I had four consecutive DNFs, but for me, being able to be in a race for a hundred kilometers and eventually help the team again was a big deal. Now, it's almost back to business as usual."

Have you expressed your doubts to the team as well?

"Yes, I discussed it with my coach. But they said I could just drop out if it wasn't working. Medically, there was no doubt; my bone had healed, and I couldn't do any harm. It was probably just my own fear."

So, is the inflammation fluid something that will clear up in a matter of weeks?

"Yes, actually. I think in a month or two, I won't even feel it in races anymore."

Is it difficult to watch the spring season now?

"No, not really! I'm racing in beautiful and very tough races here. I've always found races in Italy to be beautiful. When I see them crashing on mud sections in the GP Denain, I'm glad I'm racing here."

UAE Team Emirates is performing exceptionally well without Pogacar as they head into the major races. How do you, as a teammate, view this?

"With Nils Politt, they've really added a strong rider. Tim Wellens benefits from that too. We may not be Visma | Lease a Bike or Lidl-Trek, but we're close behind. It'll be tough to beat Mathieu (van der Poel, ed.), but that's a problem everyone has."

Where are your big goals for the rest of the year?

"I'm competing in some smaller races, mainly stage races. Though, the Tour of the Basque Country is also on my schedule, and that's going to be a real test, haha! I'm glad Coppi e Bartali went well; it was good preparation. I'm also looking forward to the Tour of Austria and hoping to get back into time trialing. I thought that might take longer with my hip, but I've noticed good progress in races."

A final question about your teammate, the veteran Diego Ulissi. What's he like? He's been winning at least one race a year for fifty years...

"He's actually a calm and funny guy, someone from the old school of cycling. I mean that in the best way. He doesn’t weigh his food, enjoys an extra pastry at breakfast, and isn’t too keen on everyone wearing overshoes at the start. He's more about just riding. It's great that his class still shines through, paying off in his performances."