Remco Evenpoel, who broke his collarbone and scapula in a high-speed crash in the Basque Country, is reportedly recovering well and is headed to a high-altitude training camp in May.

Evenpoel, who won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 and 2023, will not be able to participate in this week's Ardennes Classics, so he will not clash with Tadej Pogachar, Mathieu Van Der Pol, and Tom Pidcock on Sunday.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian is only on his home trainer, but will begin more serious training in two weeks, heading to the highlands, the Dauphiné Libert and the Tour de France.

In the absence of Evenpoel, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Soudal-Quick Step will be joined by Mauri Vansevenin, James Knox, Fausto Masnada, Pieter Serry, Louis Verweke, and neo pros Gil Gelders and William A young team was chosen that included Junior Lukerf (the latter a stage winner at the Tour de Rwanda and runner-up at this year's Tour of Aruba).

During his recovery, Evenpoel has been an ambassador for the NGO Tous á Bord, which works to engage disabled people in sports.

The association is currently organizing a major 400-kilometer running project from Brussels to Paris that is open to non-disabled people as well as those with health conditions or disabilities. Although the proximity of the Tour de France will prevent Evenpoel from participating in the late May event, he emphasized during the presentation of the Brussels-Paris project that "what matters to me is not so much the challenge of the sport as the spirit of it." He also promised to participate in a similar event in October, if it takes place.

Regarding his own health after the Ituria accident, Evenpoel said that he is "already feeling a little better" and is expected to begin preparations for his Tour de France debut soon, although he needs confirmation from the team.

After a training camp in the Sierra Nevada, Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Evenpoel is expected to race the Criterium du Dauphiné in early June, but the Tour de Suisse starting a week later is always a plan B possibility.

Evenpoel's last race before the Tour de France is the Belgian national championships on June 23. He is not expected to compete in the Belgian time trial championships in order to focus on peaking for the Tour de France.

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