"Terrible, horrible, frustrating": Dutch cyclo-cross champion finally ready for comeback

When Nieuwenhuis was diagnosed with shingles, he did not immediately understand what was happening. "I had no idea what it was," the cyclo-cross rider said in a conversation with De Telegraaf. ''It's a virus that everyone suffers from. But if you had chicken pox as a child, you are otherwise immune to it. It occurs when your immunity is low. Perhaps I contracted it a while ago at a game in Spain; then I went very deep. But I do that often."

Earlier during his career, Nieuwenhuis also experienced significant setbacks. In 2018, for example, he struggled with a constricted femoral artery, a well-known and common injury among cyclists. "This is different," Nieuwenhuis said. He finds the current situation mentally more challenging. "After that operation on my femoral artery, I knew the situation. I had counseling and could build something up again. Now, there is no path I can follow. I have to listen very much to my body. And our sports doctors take the safe approach and say, "Don't do anything. That's terrible for someone like me who likes to put in miles. Not being able to train is terrible."

Meanwhile, Nieuwenhuis is feeling a lot better again. So well, they gave the green light for a comeback at Ridley Racing. "Joris has been training intensively for the last three weeks. He will finally get the green light on the weekend of November 16 and 17. The last tests showed he is free of the virus," Sporza said. Based on Nieuwenhuis' words, his return was already expected. "The worst is behind me. I am better and can train again. But the lingering consequences are still noticeable."

"Anyway, it was not a fun time; I was tired. And quite frustrated as a result. You would like to start again because everything you have built up has been broken down," the Dutchman, who traded Baloise Trek Lions for his new team, Ridley Racing Team, was disappointed. A life as a crosser is ideal for him. "I now have a life as I have always envisioned it. Cyclo-cross is a small world, a smaller sport compared to road cycling. But for a Tour de France, you're away from home for four weeks. Plus, the altitude training. You're away from home for half the year as a road rider." Or, as he has discovered after a road career, "Through all the experiences, I have learned how I enjoy this sport the most. And this is the way."