Charlotte Kool ready for her first race in Fenix-Deceuninck colours.
Her debut in Fenix-Deceuninck colours has taken a little longer than planned. After a crash earlier this season and a lengthy recovery from concussion, tomorrow Charlotte Kool will finally pin on her first race number for the team at Binche–Chimay–Binche.
“The past weeks were all about recovery,” Charlotte explains. “I’m really happy to say I’ve fully recovered from my concussion. After my crash at the Baloise Ladies Tour, things seemed okay at first, but during the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and especially afterwards, it became clear something wasn’t right. That’s when I made the decision to step off the bike and put my health first.”
What followed was a long period of rest and patience. “For weeks I barely touched the bike, maybe half an hour on Zwift here and there, slowly building up again under the guidance of our medical team. It took about four weeks of almost no cycling at all before the dizziness finally disappeared. From then on, we could focus on getting fully healthy again. Over the past three or four weeks, I’ve finally been able to train properly.”
Now, with the symptoms behind her, Kool is simply happy to be back doing what she loves most. “Mentally, I can’t wait to finally race again, especially in this beautiful new jersey. Physically, I honestly don’t know where I stand yet, but the fact that I’m healthy and able to race again already feels like my biggest win of the season.”
Her first outing for the team will come on a challenging course. “Binche–Chimay–Binche is definitely not an easy race, with a tough finish. I have no expectations. I’ll just see how the legs respond on Tuesday. I’m mainly looking forward to racing together with my new teammates.”
After Binche–Chimay–Binche, our Dutch rider will call time on her 2025 campaign. “This will be my final race of the season, yes. After that, I’ll keep training a bit, then take some real time off to enjoy a proper break. The goal is to come back next year fully fit and ready to become the best version of myself, together with this team.”
