Teunissen hit a rock on Saturday in a descent and crashed. On Tenerife he received first aid in a hospital, after which the unfortunate rider flew to the Netherlands yesterday. In the AMC hospital in Amsterdam additional examination showed that further treatment is necessary. This means that Teunissen’s entire spring campaign is in jeopardy.

Teunissen is devastated by the new setback. “First you hope that it’s not too bad, but this is terrible. You want to start the season well, especially if the previous one was ruined, as in my case, by an injury. But anyway, apparently I have to drain the poison cup completely. Instead of taking one step forward with an altitude training camp, I am now taking two steps back. I’m going to do everything I can to be back on the bike as soon as possible.”

“It is just the way things are”, Team Jumbo-Visma coach Grischa Niermann resigned himself to the fate of his rider. The replacement will be resolved internally. “In the first place, this is a disappointment for Mike. For us as a team it is also a bummer, because of course it is no secret that we have ambitions in the classics. Mike is a strong rider for that, but fortunately we also have other good men to make up for his loss. In the classic core, riders will move up a spot and we are confident that they will do well.”