Initially projected to be off the bike entirely for up to six months, it sounds as if Anthony Roux (FDJ) is not too far from climbing back into the saddle to prepare for his start to the 2012 season. Roux broke two vertebrae in an October cyclo-cross crash in the French Ardennes. His road season had concluded at the World Championships, after earning a spot on the French squad with arguably the strongest season of his young career.
Recovering at home, the Frenchman is trying to maintain good spirits, rehabbing in hopes of getting back on the bike late in the calendar year.
When asked how he spends a normal day, the 24-year-old mentioned several past-times, all of which help him remain immobile. “I watch movies, I read, and I’ve begun to learn English, but it’s hard,” he said. “For the time being, I do not think too much of the bike. In my state, I do not really feel like a rider,” he added.
After taking six wins and racing actively in the Tour de France, Roux seemed poised to begin 2012 as one of the top names in French cycling. And while he hopes to make it back to the same level in 2012, the former Vuelta a España stage winner is in for a long and arduous recovery beforehand.
“After my operation I felt I progressed quickly after getting out of the hospital, but now it’s slow,” he stated. “It’s going normally. I wear a brace but I can walk.”
Recalling his accident, Roux says he remembers everything quite well. “I was in the final lap of the race and I had to go through a section that I had no trouble with before. I found myself on ground, not knowing what happened. It was not my fault, and the front wheel was bent. It crashed in on itself. It is incomprehensible!”
Roux considered himself lucky given the location of the back injury, which could have been extremely dangerous for his career. While indicating that he would not rush the process, Roux is hoping for a mid-winter return to outdoor training.
“The doctors told me I was close to disaster, to paralysis,” he admitted. “But I am still here and now I am offered some perspective. What’s my fear? In 2011 I made good progress in terms of confidence and risk-taking in the bunch. I hope I do not regress.”
In spite of the unlucky accident, Roux seems upbeat and dedicated to his rest and rehabilitation. “I think I will be back on the home trainer in mid-December and back on the road in mid-January,” he remarked. “I feel like I have lost a lot of muscle. First I’ll take care of rehabilitation to regain muscle mass.”