Vos works on comeback, Van Empel features in Jumbo-Visma photo: "Marianne was unable to attend, Fem is the future"

Marianne Vos is doing well, so her Jumbo-Visma coach Jan Boven confirmed to IDLProCycling.com last weekend in Kortrijk. The 36-year-old rider was forced to end her season early last August due to a compressed groin artery. Fortunately, the risky procedure that followed did not cause any problems.

"I have been struggling with pain and lack of power in my left leg for a long time. The symptoms only worsened this season," Vos wrote on Instagram after her surgery. "My biggest hope for now is to be able to return to competition without symptoms. I would love to race at the highest level again and will do my utmost to come back."

Vos, who was also treated for the same problem at the beginning of 2023, was back on her bike five weeks after her surgery. After five weeks without any physical exertion, she had to start from scratch again. In the first three weeks of training, she built up to eventually training two hours every day. This went well, in consultation with her new coach Rutger Tijssen.

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Marianne Vos possibly returning to cyclo-cross?

For this reason, a few weeks ago, Vos could travel to Mallorca, where she increased her training workload. All of this went well, Boven told IDLProCycling.com after the cyclo-cross in Kortrijk. "She is on her way back after a pretty serious operation. The idea was not to have her participate in cyclo-cross this winter, but it's actually going really well now. So who knows, but the focus is on the road," said the cyclo-cross coach.

For Vos, it's a nice bonus that Jumbo-Visma now has an extra card to play in Fem van Empel. The top talent is currently winning everything there is to win in the field and will also have a busy spring on the road in 2024. It is no coincidence that Van Empel was prominently featured in the photo when Jumbo-Visma officially announced their new sponsor Lease a Bike. "Marianne was unable to attend, but otherwise, Fem still would have been there too. Fem is the future," Boven confirms. "We know Marianne's capabilities and we are fortunately making great use of them."