Laporte on the sidelines during Spring Classics: ‘I will cheer for the boys from the TV’
Illness continues to keep Christophe Laporte on the sidelines. Recently, it became clear that the Frenchman will not return to action during the Spring Classics, which is a painful reality for the former winner of Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Hi Christophe, how are you feeling at the moment?
"Not great, unfortunately. It hurts to have to watch my favorite races from home on TV. Things are improving, but I still feel tired and need to take it easy."
What exactly is going on?
"Right before I was supposed to go on an altitude training camp at the end of January, I started feeling unwell. Tests showed that I have the cytomegalovirus. Since then, I’ve been recovering and have to take things day by day. The frustrating part is that you can’t predict how long it will take. With a broken bone, you have an estimate of how long recovery will be before you can train again. With this virus, you can’t determine that in advance, which makes it mentally tough."
Especially now that the spring classics are in full swing.
"Absolutely, this is the second year in a row that I have to sit out this period, and that’s really frustrating. It feels strange. At the same time, I’ve come to terms with the situation: the only thing I can do now is rest and wait until I get better."
What keeps you going during this period?
"As painful as it is to watch the races on TV, I’m really looking forward to seeing the team perform well in the classics. I’ll be the biggest supporter of my teammates. Besides that, I realize the season is still long, and there are plenty of great races after the spring classics. Last year, I missed most of the spring as well, but later on, I won an Olympic medal and took victory in Paris-Tours. That’s what I hold on to."
