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Wout van Aert is feeling ‘almost professional again’

Belgian rode almost 100 km, the longest ride since his brutal crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen

Van Aert may do the Tour…is that bad news for Vingegaard? Photo by: Sirotti
April 24, 2024
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Wout van Aert’s recovery continues to trend in a positive direction. He has been steadily progressing on his journey back to full fitness following his brutal rash at Dwars door Vlaanderen at the end of March. On Tuesday, he rode his longest ride since the accident, at nearly 94 km in the vicinity of his home in Herentals, Belgium.

Steady progress for Wout van Aert

He’s come a long way since posting that he took his first shower in weeks. The Belgian endured a serious crash in the buildup to the Tour of Flanders on March 27. This incident also affected other contenders such as Jasper Stuyven and Biniam Girmay. The crash occurred shortly after the Berg Ten Houte climb, worsened by crosswinds and the Lidl-Trek team’s positioning at the front of the peloton, leading to splits. About 68 km remained in the race when the substantial crash occurred, involving approximately a dozen riders.

After the race, it was revealed that Visma – Lease a Bike rider suffered fractures to his collarbone, sternum, and ribs during the mass crash. Ultimately, he confirmed that these injuries have forced him to withdraw from his anticipated debut at the Giro d’Italia.

Too soon for the Giro

“Hello everyone. I am happy to tell you that I am doing well. I am recovering from injuries after my crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen. A lot of my injuries are quite good at the moment. But my rib are still a limiting factor so at this point I can’t train at tall. I tried to do my first pedal stokes but not good enough to train. That’s why we made the decision to not start the Giro d’Italia,” van Aert said. “It’s a big shame and I’m really disappointed to also miss my second goal of the season. But at this moment I need to prioritize my health and I need to give my body the time to recover.”

Happy to be riding outside

Wout van Aert ventured outdoors for a ride on his MTB on April 17. The first time since his Classics season was abruptly interrupted. Additionally, it seems he logged 111 km on Zwift, although the details of the ride were kept private.

On Tuesday, he posted his ride on Strava, posting in Dutch that he felt, “almost professional again.” He was riding his Cervélo Áspero-5 gravel bike.

On the Visma – LAB’s X account, the team posted a video of him riding, with the caption, “Happy to be back riding outside.”