Shirin van Anrooij of the Lidl-Trek team has been battling a persistent injury that has caused weakness in her left leg. This issue led her to withdraw from the World Road Championships. However, she showed determination by competing in the Gravel World Championships, despite the ongoing pain. Van Anrooij finished 31st, approximately 10 minutes behind Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky. Reflecting on the event, she admitted, “It was actually quite enjoyable,” but added, “Secretly, you hope it goes better than expected, but that wasn’t realistic. I noticed towards the end that it became difficult to even finish.”
The 22-year-old cyclist now faces a period of uncertainty regarding her future in the sport. After the race between Halle and Leuven, which marked her last competition for the foreseeable future, she opened up about her condition. “It’s still not 100% clear to me,” Van Anrooij confessed. “There is something that has been found, and it’s somewhat of a relief to know that it can be resolved. Next week, I have further tests. It seems that an operation might be necessary, which could see me out for a number of months.”
If surgery is required, it’s likely we won’t see Van Anrooij in the upcoming cyclocross season. “With a bit of luck, it might still be possible, but I think it’s serious enough that it will be difficult,” she said with evident disappointment. The power loss in her left leg has been troubling her for some time, as she explained, “Eventually, it was completely fatigued, and I couldn’t pedal through it.”
