Having been on the sidelines since early November because of a deep muscle tear in his right leg, Lars van der Haar could make his return faster than expected. 

Initially forced to rest for about twelve weeks, the Dutchman had already expressed his desire to be back in competition at the Grand Prix Sven Nys in Baal on January 1 where he will wear the Telenet-Fidea Lions which he joins from 2017, for the first time. However, Lars van der Haar is thinking of a comeback next Monday in the seventh round of the World Cup in Heusden-Zolder. In any case, he is in in the Dutch selection for the event, alongside Mathieu and David van der Poel, Corne van Kessel, Thijs van Amerongen, Stan Godrie, Patrick van Leeuwen and Lars Boom. 

The Dutch coach, Gerben de Knegt states that "van der Haar will make a final decision on Friday whether he has recovered sufficiently from his injury to be at the start."