Nils Eekhoff wasn’t aiming for very ambitious targets at the AlUla Tour last week, but the serious crash in the final of the third stage will now affect the remainder of Eekhoff’s season.
Eekhoff states that the discomfort is manageable. “It seems as though my teeth have just been extracted.” Last weekend, I went back to the Netherlands, and I will now talk about my choices with an oral surgeon. I am not a healthcare expert, but based on what I’ve gathered in Saudi Arabia, it doesn’t appear to be a serious fracture. Only my jaw is out of place, meaning I cannot shut my jaws. “That is particularly frustrating,” he reveals about his situation to WielerFlits.
The rider known for classics will be out of action for the next 6-8 weeks, putting his spring campaign at risk yet again since turning professional in 2020. Following his (revoked) win at the 2019 World Championships in the under-23 division, Eekhoff faced high expectations for the classics, yet he has only performed well in smaller events, securing 3rd place at Tro-Bro Leon in 2023 and 5th at Kuurne – Bruxelles – Kuurne the previous year.
You may believe that you can keep up your cycling fitness with a broken jaw, but Eekhoff clarifies that it’s much more complex than merely pedalling. “However, food is quite challenging for me; I can only consume liquid nutrition.” “As a result, obtaining sufficient food is challenging right now.”
Overall, he had it fairly simple. Eekhoff had to veer at high speed to evade a collapsing rider beside him, after which the Team Picnic PostNL cyclist became trapped with his pedal on an incline and was unable to move. Out of nowhere, a lamppost appeared, and he collided with it. It appeared quite unpleasant in the video. “Besides my fractured jaw, I have a stitch on my chin and several bruised muscles, but that’s all.” “Additionally, there are three molars and two teeth that are partially broken.”
