After undergoing successful iliac artery endofibrosis surgery in late October, Shirin van Anrooij is anticipating a return to competition at the Navarra Classic, Itzulia, and Vuelta a Burgos, all held in Spain in May.
The Lidl-Trek rider emphasised that she has had the full support of her team during the recovery period, including a medical team and sports psychologist, with the main goal of healing and coming back stronger.
"The plan is to come back in mid-May during the Spanish block with the Navarra Classic, Itzulia, and the Vuelta a Burgos," Van Anrooij said in a team press release.
"Secretly, I hope to race some classics in late April, but I assume it will be mid-May. If it’s earlier, that’s a bonus. But I don’t want to return until I feel I’m at my best again. I don’t want to start with a disappointment.
"The team wants to see how my comeback progresses first. Last year, I rode the Tour, but I couldn’t compete properly due to my injury. This year, I want to feel like I’m the best version of myself again. The team is keeping the pressure off; they don’t want to label me as a leader too soon.”
Van Anrooij said that she experienced "unusual sensations in her left leg" during the second half of the road racing season in 2024. In September, she was also forced to make the difficult decision to pull out of the UCI Road World Championships and end her season early due to an unexplained lingering pain and power loss in her left leg.
She was later diagnosed with a narrowing of her external iliac artery.
She announced in November that she would not compete in the cyclocross or early road racing seasons while she recovered from successful surgery. She said that she took four weeks completely off and then was given the green light to swim and ride an indoor trainer on the fifth week of her recovery.
She added mountain biking to her daily training in the seventh week and then was able to fully begin training in January.
"My fitness was completely gone. My left leg is still weaker than my right, so I’m focusing on strength training with my physiotherapist and in the gym. The pain from before the surgery is gone, but I can feel that I still lack strength. The only way to make progress is to train smart and not rush things," she said.
Van Anrooij said that the biggest thing she learned during this injury and recovery process was how important it is to rest.
“In the first few days after surgery, I realized I had never truly taken a full day off. My body actually needed that rest. I also learned to listen to my own body better. I’m going to rely less on others’ opinions and trust myself more because I know my body best."
She said that during her time away from cycling she missed the routine of daily training, having a clear mind, and being physically tired after a long ride.
"Riding for five hours in the sun and just enjoying it… I’m so happy I can do that again. This period has made me realize how much I love cycling and how much I miss it when I can’t do it," she said.
