While most other professional riders are enjoying a break after an intense 2020 racing season, Remco Evenpoel is already training for 2021. The Detunink-Quick Step rider will head to Spain on Sunday to ramp up his training as he recovers from a broken pelvis and other injuries sustained in a nasty crash at Il Lombardia in August.

Evenpoel returned to outdoor training on October 4, when he would have started the Giro d'Italia. He is also undergoing intensive rehabilitation to ensure he is back to his best for the start of the 2021 season.

With the weather in Belgium deteriorating and COVID-19 restricted in both countries, Evenpoel decided to head to Calpe on the Spanish coast for two weeks of training. Currently, there are no travel restrictions between most European countries.

According to Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab), Evenpoel will not be staying at the hotel where Deceuninck Quickstep normally stays. Instead, he will likely stay in an apartment to avoid the risk of coming into contact with people carrying the COVID-19 virus.

"The climate is nice and we have a different kind of fun when we train in Belgium," Wilfried Peeters, director sportif of Deceuninck-QuickStep, told Het Nieuwsblad.

Evenpoel crashed into a ravine on August 15 after misjudging a corner on the infamous Muro di Solmano descent of Il Lombardia.

He hit a low wall and fell over the edge into the ravine, but fortunately landed on a steep slope well above a steeper drop-off. Evenpoel was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a pelvic fracture. He was transported to Belgium, where doctors opted to avoid major surgery to speed Evenpoel's recovery.

Even though he was only 20 years old, Evenpoel was considered a strong contender for the Giro d'Italia after winning the Vuelta a San Juan, Volta ao Algarve, Vuelta a Burgos, and Tour de Pologne in his second professional season.

The crash sparked a UCI investigation after Davide Bramati, Deceuninck-Quick Step's directeur sportif, was seen taking things out of his pocket before Evenpoel was pulled out of the valley.

Deceuninck-QuickStep professed that the white object was a "small bottle of nutritional supplements" that had been removed to "place him more comfortably on a stretcher." After an investigation, the Bicycle Anti-Doping Foundation announced that "no anti-doping violation has been committed and unless new elements are subsequently introduced, the matter will be considered closed."

Deceuninck-QuickStep continued to win during Evenpeor's absence, taking his total to 39 victories in 2020, as well as Julien Alaphilippe's world title.