Rodrigo Beenkens Returns: RTBF Commentator Back After Health Battle

Rodrigo Beenkens will return to RTBF television this Sunday, commentating on Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, marking his first on-air appearance in six months.

The Belgian sports journalist’s absence from the screen began following coverage of the Tour de France in July 2025, specifically Wout van Aert’s performance on the slopes of Montmartre during the final stage. Beenkens’s return follows a period of enforced rest and recovery, prompted by health concerns that surfaced in February, according to reports.

Beenkens, who has been a cycling commentator for 37 years, described a period of feeling “abnormally fatigued with slumps in energy around 5-6 pm,” as reported by La Dernière Heure. Initial medical analysis led doctors to recommend a month of rest, a proposition Beenkens initially resisted due to commitments to podcasts, documentary promotions – including the award-winning “Merckx” and “8 Seconds” – and team obligations.

He ultimately acknowledged the need to prioritize his well-being, stating he hadn’t “listened to my body” for forty years despite clear warning signs. Beenkens underwent a “complete reset, both mental and physical,” including Pilates and swimming, to regain his strength. He admitted to feeling “a little bored” in the month leading up to his return.

The return to broadcasting comes as the cycling season enters its Classics period, with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad already broadcast on RTL-TVi on Saturday. Beenkens’s “enthusiasm, his knowledge of the race and his ‘ultimo kilometro’” have been missed, according to reports.

Beenkens has received hundreds of messages of support during his time away from the screen, a response he described as deeply moving.