Lotto-Soudal's John Degenkolb, Philippe Gilbert, and Tim Wellens have returned from injury to compete in the five-day Tour de Luxembourg, Tuesday, September 15 through Saturday, September 19. knee in the opening stage of the Tour de France on August 29. Gilbert's recovery from a broken knee suffered in the opening stage of the Tour de France on August 29 will be the most surprising of the three riders.

"In the end, the patella fracture in my left knee was a revision of an old 2018 fracture," Gilbert said, according to a press release from Lotto Soudal on Friday. 'It was a non-fused fracture, and after a few days it didn't cause much more pain. That's why I started my training sessions very early". [Yesterday [Thursday] I did four and a half hours of training. I really want to race. This season is already short and I want to perform." [The Luxembourg stage race is ideal for me. Already in the Tour de Wallonie in August, I learned that racing can have a fruitful effect on my condition. I am hoping for the same effect in Luxembourg. I missed the Tour, but I still have the classics. I am ambitious and very hungry," Gilbert said.

According to Sporza, the Belgian's race program following the Tour de Luxembourg consists of the Gooikse Pijl on September 20, the Belgian national championship road race on September 22, and the BinckBank Tour from September 29 to October 3. As for the latter, it will be interesting to see if he will be selected to represent Belgium at the World Championships in Imola, Italy, on September 27.

Beyond that, Gilbert has his eyes on the Tour de Flanders on October 18 and Paris-Roubaix a week later on October 25, as well as the rescheduled spring classics.

Degenkolb said his departure from the Tour de France was a "big shock," but like Gilbert, he is targeting the October classics.

"It was a big shock to leave the Tour after one stage because of the big impact on both knees," said the 31-year-old, who finished outside the time limit on the first stage in Nice. He suffered bruises on both knees, but after a re-examination two days later at a hospital in Frankfurt, no fractures were found."

"The first week was very painful, especially because of the eczema on the road surface, but I have already been back training for five days," Degenkolb continued. I'm very happy to be back in competition much sooner than I initially expected. I'm in good condition and I'm confident. The Tour de Luxembourg will be the perfect preparation for the rest of the season, especially the BinckBank Tour and the Classics.

Wellens, on the other hand, unlike his two teammates, crashed during motor pace in training a week before La Grande Boucle and did not even make the Tour start line. He suffered shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries that made it impossible for him to race in France, and he was replaced by Frederic Frisson.

"I was off the bike for a week," Wellens explained, "but I've been training for over a week since then and I feel good.

"Luxembourg is ideal and I'm ready for the Classics. After Luxembourg, I have ambitions for the Belgian Championships and then the World Championships in Imola."

The remaining six riders in the Lotto Soudal for the Tour de Luxembourg consist of Herm Vanhocke, Tosh Van der Sande, and Tomasz Martinski.