Ellen van Dijk is set to start as one of the favourites in the women’s Olympic time trial on Saturday, despite suffering a series of severe injuries only months ago. Recent details have emerged, revealing the true extent of her injuries and her remarkable recovery.
According to her partner, journalist Benjamin de Bruijn, Van Dijk’s injuries were far more extensive than initially reported. De Bruijn shared on social media, “Ellen didn’t just break her ankle; she also broke her right foot, a finger, had a muscle hernia in her thigh, and deep cuts in her legs that required 24 stitches.”
In early June, the Royal Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU) had initially reported Van Dijk’s injuries as a broken ankle and some minor damages. However, the true extent of her injuries was much greater. “Hospital examinations revealed that she broke her ankle among other, lighter damages,” the KNWU communiqué had stated.
De Bruijn detailed Van Dijk’s recovery process, describing her journey back to fitness:
“Four days after the operation, she was back on the bike indoors with a plastered leg, doing sessions of five minutes cycling followed by five minutes rest. As her ankle didn’t react negatively, she extended the sessions daily, from a total of 20 minutes up to three hours, still with the plaster.
“Thirteen days post-operation, the plaster came off, and she switched to a normal cycling shoe. Immediately, she cycled for over three hours, gradually increasing the effort with her right leg. I played the song ‘Bird Set Free,’ and off she went.
“A few days later, she ventured outside again. It terrified me, but she was going crazy indoors. Moreover, if she wanted to go to the Olympics, she had to take some risks and resume natural cycling.
“Her right-left balance improved almost daily. From there, her progress was rapid. Ellen did a lot on the time trial bike and only trained indoors once on a rainy day. She expanded her training blocks every other day.
“Every day we talked about her ankle, about the Olympics. I know she thought about it every second. Then came the test on Monday 15th July, where Ellen had to show she was good enough. The deadline to be in form was not today, but two weeks ago.
“The doctors had considered it impossible. But Ellen achieved her best values of the year. She didn’t miss a single training day over the past two months, and every step in her recovery was faster than expected.
“Today, she’s giving it her all to bring this bizarre rollercoaster to a halt. Enjoy watching her ride, I certainly will!”
Van Dijk’s journey back to the bike began just four days after her surgery. With her leg in a cast, she managed indoor sessions, gradually increasing the duration from 20 minutes to three hours. Thirteen days post-surgery, she was able to swap the cast for a normal cycling shoe and pushed herself to exceed three hours on the bike.
Despite the risks, Van Dijk soon returned to outdoor training. “It terrified me, but she was going crazy indoors,” De Bruijn admitted. Her determination to compete in the Olympics meant taking some risks, and she resumed natural training conditions outdoors. Her right-left balance improved daily, and her performance on the time trial bike quickly escalated.
On 15th July, Van Dijk had to prove her readiness, achieving her best values of the year despite medical predictions deeming it impossible. For two months, she missed no training days and exceeded every recovery milestone faster than expected. Van Dijk’s commitment and grit have led her to the start line of the Olympic time trial, ready to give her all. As De Bruijn said, “Enjoy watching her ride, I certainly will!”
Main photo credit: Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency
