New Year’s Eve is supposed to be memorable, filled with happiness and exciting memories, although that was not the case for the Jumbo-Visma Rider Nathan Van Hooydonck. Nathan lost his newborn son Thiago at the end of 2021 and that completely broke him.
Since that time, he was pretty closed off but now he has finally opened up about how he feels and also credits his girlfriend Alicia, who was with him every step of the way. The Belgian Rider shared the news to the public on his Instagram on December 28, and Thiago’s funeral was held on New Year’s Eve, it was supposed to be a moment of celebration but turned out to be a real tragedy.
Nathan also credits the bike ride that he took a day after the funeral, although it was brief, it made him feel good and freshened him up. Although the bike ride helped him relax and focus on Jumbo-Visma in Spain, the real support came from his Girlfriend Alicia, which he is really thankful for.
View this post on Instagram
Nathan revealed to the media how he really feels and this is what he had to say,
Alicia was much stronger than me in everything that happened. She pulled me through. I had a hard time when she was better and vice versa. So we could always support each other very well. The fact that I am here today and can resume my preparation in Spain is one hundred percent thanks to her.
View this post on Instagram
His Girlfriend Alicia is not the only one who has his back, his team and Jumbo-Visma are also giving their full support. Distractions are there, there are other goals to focus on, and whatever help he needs, Jumbo-Visma is giving it to Nathan. Although it is tough to go through a grieving process and whenever Nathan feels the need for Alicia, he can always go back and recover.
Clear agreements have been made that if I have a bad day, I would indicate this in good time. I may be home in a few days because it is not going well, but the team is also supporting me. They are fantastic.
Losing a child is one of the most difficult and painful feelings of the world, Nathan revealed his feelings about the tragic loss,
I constantly think about the loss. Some days are better than others, but when I leave for training in our village for example, and see a pram, my heart breaks into a thousand pieces.
Even with all the loss surrounding Nathan, he has not given up hope and still has plans to perform his best. He wants to give his 100% to Jumbo-Visma and he will do that. We hope that and pray for Nathan and Alicia, may they recover from this tragedy soon.
Featured Image via Instagram/nvhooydonck
