Fall with dire consequences for cyclist Wout van Aert

Cycling star Wout van Aert was seriously injured in a mass fall on Wednesday and will be out for a longer period of time.

March 27, 2024

From: apa/sn

The 29-year-old Belgian crashed on Wednesday with several other riders in the cycling semi-classic Across Flanders about 68 kilometers from the finish in Waregem. The nine-time stage winner at the Tour de France suffered a broken collarbone and several broken ribs. He will not contest the Tour of Flanders (March 31) and Paris-Roubaix (April 7).

“It is unclear how long recovery will take. Van Aert will definitely miss the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race,” his team announced on Wednesday evening.

All was well with the world: Wout van Aert (3rd from left) at “Dwars Door Vlaanderen” on Thursday. © APA/afp / DAVID PINTENS

According to media reports, Van Aert had to be put on a stretcher while crying. It was also over for three other professionals. There was initially no exact information regarding the injuries. In addition to van Aert, the Danish professional Mads Pedersen and the Eritrean Biniam Girmay were also involved in the crash.

Huge setback for van Aert

Van Aert, teammate of two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, is experiencing a bitter start to the season. Last Friday he also crashed at the E3 Prize and later had to admit defeat to his long-term rival Mathieu van der Poel. Incidentally, victory in the race went to his Team Visma colleague Matteo Jorgenson (USA).

For van Aert, the diagnosis is a huge setback. He dreamed of finally winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. In order to optimally prepare for the two monuments, he sacrificed several races in the winter.

Schlagwörter: cycling wout van aert racing bike