Tuesday 4 November 2014 22:15, UK
Ian Stannard has described his injury-ravaged 2014 season as “terrible” and admitted he still doesn’t know when he will be back to his best.
The Team Sky rider started the year well, with a fourth-place finish at the Tour of Qatar and a win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad one-day Classic, but he then suffered a broken back in a crash at Gent-Wevelgem in March and missed the next four and a half months of racing.
He made his comeback at the RideLondon Classic in August and started September’s Tour of Britain, only to fall and break his wrist at the end of the first stage in Liverpool.
That injury ended his road season, and although it is now almost healed, Stannard fears his lack of time on the bike this year could place him in bad stead going into winter training.
I have probably missed around 20,000km of riding this year, so that has definitely set me back.
“It’s been terrible and definitely one to forget,” the 27-year-old Englishman told teamsky.com. “My win at Het Nieuwsblad almost seems like a different year now.
“I have nearly recovered from both [injuries], which is a huge relief. I just want to focus on my training over the next few months and then set goals off the back of that. I have probably missed around 20,000km of riding this year, so that has definitely set me back.
“We haven’t discussed my race schedule yet, as we’re going to see how things go before getting my calendar nailed down.”
Stannard made a tentative second comeback to racing at the opening event of the Revolution Series at the Lee Valley VeloPark last month.
He managed to negotiate what can be a frantic event safely but admitted it could not be used as a barometer of his recovery.
He added: “The Revolution Series was a gentle way – if you can call it that – of getting back into the swing of things, but I won’t know how my body is until I do some hard training efforts in the cold. My wrist still needs a little work on it, but my back feels fine. I’m feeling fresh and am really motivated for the new season.”
