Sander
The spring of Wout van Aert is over before his week of truth has arrived. He broke his collarbone, his sternum and “some ribs” after a fall in Dwars door Vlaanderen. This is confirmed by his Visma-Lease a Bike team.
Wout van Aert lying on the ground. “It was a battlefield yesterday“.
Wout van Aert from Visma-Lease-a-Bike will be absent from the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix due to injuries sustained from a severe crash during Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, resulting in a fractured collarbone and multiple broken ribs. The crash, occurring 60km from the finish, caused significant chaos in the peloton, leading to numerous riders withdrawing from the race, with several needing medical attention.
In one second, the work of the past months is shattered and the spring falls completely into the water: Wout van Aert has broken his collarbone and “some ribs” in Dwars door Vlaanderen.
“It is not clear how long his recovery period will take,” Visma-Lease a Bike reports in a statement. “He will definitely miss the Ronde, Roubaix and the Amstel.”
Van Aert had returned from an altitude training camp in Tenerife a week ago. He had, among other things, canceled the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo to give his all to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
On Friday he picked up the thread in the E3 Saxo Classic, where he finished third. He did not participate in Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, today Dwars door Vlaanderen had to give him a final push towards the monuments of the next two Sundays.
But 65 kilometers from the finish, Van Aert crashed on the descent towards the Kanarieberg. Van Aert cried tears, groaned in pain and was taken to hospital. It is not clear how long his recovery will take.
There, a broken collarbone and several rib fractures were diagnosed, immediately putting an end to his spring and all plans.
Full footage of the brutal crash:
Interesting point of view by Chris Horner:
Discover Wout van Aert’s program for the classics in 2024
The Belgian rider skips some classics and focuses fully on the 2 Monuments. The Giro awaits after the spring. This was the program for 2024:
| Program Wout van Aert | |
|---|---|
| 11/02 | Clasica Almeria |
| 12/02 | Clasica Jaen |
| 14/02 – 18/02 | Tour of the Algarve |
| 24/02 | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad |
| 25/02 | Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne |
| 22/03 | E3 Saxo Classic in Harelbeke |
| 27/03 | Straight through Flanders |
| 31/03 | Tour of Flanders |
| 07/04 | Paris-Roubaix |
| 14/04 | Amstel Gold Race (?) |
I also want to remind that it’s his second crash in a row: this is what happened when Wout van Aert crashed on the Paterberg as Mathieu van der Poel lunched his E3 attack
List of rider that also were invoved in the horror crash:
Medical bulletin Across Flanders
- Cédric Beullens (Lotto-Dstny): major abrasions and bruises.
- Gleb Brussenskiy (Astana): fell without serious injuries.
- Michele Gazzoli (Astana): three broken ribs.
- Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty): hit in the ribs.
- Alex Kirsch (Lidl-Trek): broken metacarpal in right hand.
- Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): multiple bruises and abrasions.
- Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty): fallen, but no fractures.
- Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek): broken collarbone.
- Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies): abrasions and some minor injuries.
- Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike): broken collarbone, broken sternum and 7 broken ribs.
- Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Dstny): major abrasions and bruises.
- Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck): abrasions on his back and hit near the sacrum and tailbone.
