As tradition goes, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux spends a good chunk of the month of January in Spain for a training camp, in order to prepare for the upcoming season. However, one of the Belgian riders, Baptiste Planckaert, did not join the team to train under the sun of Alicante because of a serious knee injury. Scans revealed that he developed a prepatellar friction syndrome in the right knee during his training build-up in November, which lead doctor Claes to perform a surgery in the hospital of Herentals on Friday, January 15. As a result, the resident of Mouscron is set to miss racing for the whole spring.
Simon Verdonck (Team Doctor):
« Initially, we opted for a conservative approach in consultation with Doctor Steven Claes. The pain was persisting, which made surgery the sole option. Dr. Claes performed a prepatellar friction syndrome release with Baptiste last Friday. What that means for Baptiste is that in the first two weeks after surgery, the workload on the right knee must be limited to the absolute minimum. Resuming training on the bike will depend on the evolution of the pain level. Together with the team and the specialist Dr. Steven Claes, we will closely and carefully monitor the situation. »
Baptiste Planckaert:
« In November, I hurt my knee against my handlebars, but never I would have imagined that this would be the start of a serious injury. I felt a small problem persisting in the knee area, forcing me to rest. The movement of my knee caused inflammation, making cycling impossible. »
« I was really looking forward to the upcoming season with my new team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux. Because of this injury, I can forget about my initial pre-season plans. It is said that I will be sidelined for the entire spring. In the coming weeks, in view of my first bike ride, I will search some distraction and make everything possible to heal as fast and as safely possible. The duration of the rehab is uncertain, but I hope to be back in the saddle within three weeks to start my long build-up. »
