“I am very happy with my 2022 cycling year and that I am healthy and have not suffered any serious damage,” says Evenpoel. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to everyone. I feel so sorry for Amy Peters, who fell badly last year on December 23rd. I hope we get a good return on this jacket and that we can contribute a little bit towards Amy’s means of a good rehabilitation.”

The Dutch cyclist crashed about a year ago in Spain during a training ride. Peters suffered severe brain damage and was in a coma for four months. The 31-year-old daughter of former track coach Peter Peters is currently pursuing rehab. Because treatments are so expensive, the family, friends and Pieters team launched a crowdfunding campaign last summer to raise money. Evenepoel also hopes to contribute to this by auctioning off the rainbow jersey. Tom Dumoulin, Marianne Vos, Matthew van der Pol, and Robert Gesink, among others, have made the cycling items available for the auction, which ends December 23.

The latest update from the Pieters family on the Dutch champion’s recovery for 2021 suggests she can’t speak yet, but can walk in some parts again.