Kevin Hulsmans seems to be marred by bad luck. After his recovery from a broken collarbone and a broken wrist and two broken ribs, the Vastgoedservice rider now has to undergo surgery on his wrist.

"In September, I had surgery on my wrist," Hulsmans tells Sporza. "A plate was inserted at that time. But in the last few days, I have had poor blood flow, leaving me with a "sleeping hand"

"A new operation is needed. I have no idea how long the rehabilitation will take. I want to ride as quickly as possible and hope to start before Nokere Koerse. But the important thing is that the wrist heals fully."

Hulsmans goes into his second season as the road captain of the Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace team which is led by people like Club Brugge captain Timmy Simons and Niels Albert. With Wout van Aert, the team has been very successful in cyclo-cross racing.