Taco van der Hoorn has been working on his comeback after a year-long concussion: 'Every now and then I doubt whether it will work'

Loyal race watchers may already be wondering where Taco Van Der Hoorn will be when today's race shows up.

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But since being dropped at the Tour of Flanders last year, Van der Hoorn has not worn the jersey number for a year.

“Now I doubt things will go well,” sighs the 30-year-old Dutchman.

“I've been trying to come back for a year and following the doctors' advice. If you're still not completely healthy, it's frustrating.”

“It also hurts that I still can't race, which is what I love to do.”

The aforementioned accident occurred after about 100 kilometers in the most beautiful Flanders 2023.

Van der Hoorn attempted to move to an elevated bike path in the peloton, but suffered a serious fall. The Dutchman immediately grabbed his face.

There were no fractures, but a concussion was diagnosed. Not too bad, you might think. But in reality it was disappointing.

“I still remember my first ride after the concussion was a 5-minute ride on an electric bike.”

“Now, a year later, I ride for an hour and a half at a time. But you can't call it training yet. It's more like cycling.”

“Of course, racing again is what I want most. But at the moment I'm not a professional cyclist yet.”

Will Van der Hoorn be a starter again?

“The doctors are very confident that I will come back. But they can't say when that will be yet.”

“Things can suddenly go very quickly. I hope that things will improve step by step in the coming months so that I can race again this season.”

What bothers Van der Hoorn the most?

“The crowded environment requires mental effort. Although things are getting better now.”

“But it's mainly the physical exertion that remains difficult. If I ride for too long, I feel a kind of brain fog, which makes it difficult to concentrate.”

“Then I get a headache. This headache lasts a long time. It's very frustrating.”

However, there are several things that worry Van der Hoorn.

“Seven years ago, I had been out for six months due to a concussion. When suddenly I was able to train hard for an hour, I won a stage on the Benelux Tour 6 weeks later.”

He added, “I hope that this turning point will come and that I will be able to train at full speed again. After that, I have confidence that I will come back well.”

Van der Hoorn also notes that he still takes steps in everyday life.

“I live in Andorra and have been studying Spanish for a year.”

“There's only a little bit of the first six months left. In the last few months I've noticed that my Spanish is improving.”

“The fact that things are going better gives me the courage to take up cycling. Things can get better too.”

Has Van der Hoorn looked back to his favorite cobblestone races this spring?

“Yes, as an enthusiast. During the Tour and Paris-Roubaix, I sat in front of the TV all day.”

“Especially during Paris-Roubaix I thought: ‘How was I going to approach it and where was I going to end up?’ Because that is the classic that suits me the most.”

In addition to racing, Van der Hoorn also misses his teammates.

“That's why the team's training camp was so much fun this winter.”

“Slow talk over dinner, working on the material, looking for marginal gains. These were all things I missed.”

What does Van der Hoorn still dream about?

“I dream of being a cyclist again. Not so much that I want to achieve this and that, but just to be a cyclist again.”

“Being able to do what I love to do again and feel healthy, that’s the most important thing.”