The 2011 Tour of Flanders victory looked to be the start of a new phase of Nick Nuyen’s career but, because of injury, the Belgian rider has now said it was the last time he felt one hundred percent on the bike.
The Garmin Sharp rider was dropped early on during yesterday’s team time trial in Tirreno-Adriatico, and explains it as the latest symptom of the difficulties he has faced.
“The last time I've felt good was when I won the Tour of Flanders,” he admitted to Sporza. Nuyens fractured his wrist that year and while he rebuilt his form and was looking forward to defending his title in 2012, he came a cropper in last year’s Paris-Nice.
The crash initially didn’t seem serious and while his hip was sore, it was initially thought he had no fracture. That verdict was revised soon afterwards, putting his Flanders defence in serious doubt, although the crack was described as a slight one and it was envisaged he’d make a complete recovery over time.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. “It’s been more than a year of misery,” he admits. “I cannot get my power up. Below my waist, everything is blocked.”
Nuyens was with Team Saxo Tinkoff in 2012 and then transferred to Garmin-Sharp over the winter. He hoped for a fresh start and a good season, but thus far it’s been an exercise in frustration. “On Saturday I abandoned the Strade Bianche. It was a long time ago that I was so bad on my bike.”
Although he received osteopathic treatment, he wasn’t feeling much better yesterday and was dropped. “In terms of my condition I feel good, but I can’t transfer that to my legs. I cannot get power out. They told me it would take a year to get back to normal; so far that has not happened.”