The dream of a first victory in the Tour of Flanders or in Paris-Roubaix, the two Monuments in pavés, was frustrated this Wednesday to Wout Van Aert, who suffered a fractured collarbone and several ribs, after a hard fall that included a dozen cyclists in the “Across Flanders” race.
When he crossed the finish line as the winner in Waregem, the American Matteo Jorgenson, The Belgian star’s partner in the Visma-Lease a Bike team and revelation of the European spring, remembered his leader: “I hope Wout is okay.” However, an hour and a half later, the Dutch team confirmed that the violence of the fall and Van Aert’s tears justified the worst fears.
“At the hospital He was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and several rib fractures. The duration of his leave is not determined. It is certain that he will miss the Tour of Flanders (which starts this Sunday), Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race,” the team announced in a statement on the social network X (ex Twitter).
The fall is a hard blow for the Belgian cycling star, who dreams of finally adding one of the two pavé Monuments to his harvest, sacrificing several races in recent months to prepare precisely for these two events. Van Aert had spent three weeks in Tenerife finalizing his set-up on the steep slopes of the Teide volcano, the highest point in Spain (3718 meters).
The leader of the Visma-Lease a Bike team hit the asphalt 67 kilometers from the finish line, in a curve to the right at full speed. Helped by doctors, He got up with difficulty, with his jersey torn and visible wounds on his back, before being evacuated by ambulance to be examined at a hospital.
Involved in the same fall, His compatriot Jasper Stuyven also suffered a broken collarbone, according to Belgian media, while Mads Pedersen, the main reference of the Lidl-Trek team, was able to continue. The Eritrean Biniyam Girmay He also went to the hospital, but no fracture was detected, according to Intermarché.
The place of the fall, a descent that leads to the foot of Kanarieberg, is known for its danger to the point that it is not on the route of the Tour of Flanders, but remains in the Across Flanders, which is held in the previous days. “It was a horrible fall. When I saw what happened I knew that Wout wouldn’t continue, we were going too fast. I think of him and the others who fell,” Jorgenson added, after his solo victory.
The spectacular multiple fall
Last Friday, Van Aert had already suffered a minor fall in the E3 Grand Prix, which his rival Mathieu Van der Poel won. For Van Aert, the curse seems to continue in the classical and semi-classical, where he accumulates unfortunate episodes, such as his puncture during the last Paris-Roubaix at a crucial moment in the race.
“I want to do it and I have to do it,” Van Aert said about finally winning a few days ago, while Belgium has been waiting to see him triumph in its classic competitions for several years. The 29-year-old cyclist also has the Giro d’Italia in his program, in May, but not the Tour de France, because Their goal is to seek medals at the Paris Olympic Games.