Giant-Alpecin team manager Iwan Spekenbrink has revealed his thoughts about John Degenkolb and his possible return in the peloton. He said that the German rider could be back for the cobbled classics.

"The scenario is that he will not be in the Classics, or at least not at his full strength", Spekenbrink explained to Cyclingnews. "We were a bit surprised by Spanish doctor from hospital making statements about what time it takes for a rider to come back. That’s one source but of course we rely on our own doctor who coordinates things. We cannot yet say when he will be back – it will take a bit of time to define. It depends on how his arm and hand recover, when the right time is to be on the bike to have no cast on his arm. There are some steps in his recovery that cannot be defined by saying ‘that takes so many days’. It’s an estimation in progress."

The German was one of six Giant-Alpecin riders injured in the crash, alongside Warren Barguil, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Ramon Sinkeldam, Max Walscheid and Chad Haga. This terrible accident turns the team program upside down. "It’s a big blow; there are no other words than to say it’s a big blow. He was so focused on the Classics; they are very important, those monuments in the sport. We were very much prepared for them, so it’s very much a blow."

However, the season is very long and Degenkolb has a lot of goals. "However, after the experience of last Saturday, it puts everything in a different perspective. There are also races in May, June, July through to October with nice goals. The bad luck at one moment offers opportunities at other moments. Another good thing is that we have always have the races every year. Milan-San Remo will be there again in 12 months and again in 24 months, so he has plenty of opportunities."