ProTeam Jarne Van de Paar returns in the Scheldeprijs today after injury

After his victory in the GP Monserez, Jarne Van de Paar can finally race again. Today he starts in the Scheldeprijs. "I am extremely motivated. This is a sprint race and there is a lot of wind. Anything can happen. The guys who rode the Tour of Flanders had a tough weekend. I, on the other hand, am fresh. I am not in my best form at the start, as I couldn't train enough in the past weeks, but I do hope for a top ten." 

Brugge-De Panne was on his schedule, as well as the Bredene Koksijde Classic and La Route Adelie de Vitre. "All races I had worked towards as a sprinter," says Van de Paar. A crash in the Grand Prix Vermarc and persistent knee pain forced him to the sidelines and dashed his planned spring. "We fell in a spot where the peloton - including myself - also went down last year. The race had barely covered two kilometers and there we went again. I thought I was sitting safely at the back of the group, but another rider tapped me from behind and I hit my knee hard on my handlebars." 

Van de Paar had been struggling with the same knee for a while, but that fall, right at that point, caused further inflammation, leaving no choice but to rest. "It dragged on for quite a while. You think 'I'll skip one race and try to get ready for the rest', but in the end, I could train very little in the past weeks. I went to the physiotherapist, did strengthening exercises, and before you know it, three weeks have passed without a race." 

After the Scheldeprijs, Van de Paar's spring season is already over. "The races in the Ardennes that are coming up are obviously not for me. It's a matter of waiting, rebuilding, and looking forward to new opportunities." 

Picture: PhotoNews