Surgery should relieve Joe Blackmore of persistent knee pain

A rider who has not yet raced this season is Joe Blackmore. The 23-year-old Brit has been struggling with a knee injury for a long time, but there may now be light at the end of the tunnel. The former winner of the Tour de l'Avenir has undergone surgery.

"Joe underwent surgery in Belgium with Dr. Claes, after being unable to race this year due to persistent knee pain. Since there was no progress, it was decided to perform a diagnostic arthroscopy (a medical procedure to diagnose and treat joint problems, ed.)," his team NSN Cycling reported on X.

"It soon became clear that Joe was suffering from an infrapatellar plica (a congenital fold of synovial tissue in the knee joint, ed.). This has now been successfully treated. The medical staff of NSN is very optimistic that this approach will lead to a full recovery and that Joe will be fully load-bearing again soon, both during training and in races."

With impressive credentials turning pro
The team cannot say anything yet about his further rehabilitation period or when Blackmore will be able to wear a race number again. The promising Brit is regarded as one of the biggest talents of his generation. Since 2024, he has been a pro at (now) NSN Cycling, after his successes as an under-23, including winning the Tour de l'Avenir and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Blackmore already has four professional wins to his name: he has won the Tour of Taiwan and the Tour du Rwanda. In his first pro year, he also impressively finished fourth in the Brabantse Pijl.