ProTeam Liam Slock six weeks after crash back at the start in Nokere Koerse

It was a tough injury report for Slock after his crash in La Marseillaise, at the end of January: a six-centimeter muscle tear in his thigh, quite a few abrasions and a severe concussion sidelined him for weeks. Tomorrow he can finally race again, in Nokere. "I'm curious," he says. "I was sidelined for six weeks, during which I couldn't ride for one week and had to take it easy for two weeks. Training looked good, but it's always uncertain how it translates into a race. So, I'm starting Nokere Koerse with some nerves, but there's more eagerness than stress."

He doesn't remember anything about the crash- Slock fell over another rider in a descent. And nothing remains of the hours after. "I was also very forgetful at the beginning. For example, the day after the fall, I called my mother twice with the same story. It's not a pleasant feeling to know that a piece of your memories has disappeared. Fortunately, there's no sign of that today. We've been very cautious in terms of training workload. I have to thank the medical team and performance staff for giving me that time, because it was crucial."

Slock spent the past weeks in Spain to get back in shape for the rest of spring. "Falling is frustrating, especially so early in the season. I felt like I was in my best form ever and hoped for a few more good results. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward again, the season is still long. I want to help the team and occasionally try my own luck. If I could do something for Arnaud De Lie in Paris-Roubaix, that would be fantastic."

Picture: PhotoNews