Great news: Wout van Aert goes on his first outdoor ride

Wout van Aert took rode outside for the first time since his Classics campaign was abruptly halted by a nasty crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 27. His recovery is moving forward, though at a gradual pace. Recently, he documented a few walks on Strava, mentioning that he enjoyed his first shower in nearly two weeks. It also appears that he has ridden 111 km on Zwift, although the exact ride was private.

The crash that took Van Aert out of the Classics

The Belgian cyclist suffered a severe crash during the lead-up to the Tour of Flanders on March 27. The incident also impacted other favorites like Jasper Stuyven and Biniam Girmay. The crash happened shortly after the Berg Ten Houte climb, exacerbated by crosswinds and the Lidl-Trek team’s presence at the front of the peloton, causing splits. With approximately 68 km left in the race, the significant crash involved around a dozen riders.

Dear Matteo Jorgenson: You don’t need to apologize for winning after Wout van Aert crashed

The Belgian endured fractures to his collarbone, sternum, and ribs during the mass crash. Last week, he confirmed that these injuries have forced him to withdraw from his anticipated debut at the Giro d’Italia.

No Giro for van Aert

“Hello everyone. I am happy to tell you that I am doing well. I am recovering from injuries after y 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 in a video message. “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.”

According to his Strava, van Aert rode is MTB—a brand new one, according to his post. “No hard feelings to all my colleagues whom I’ve ever criticized for having spacers under their stem,” he posted in Flemish on the ride. Van Aert did 30.31 km in just over an hour.

Tour de France?

His next move remains uncertain, but it does open up the possibility of him participating in the Tour de France. Whether or not that would be in support of his teammate, defending champ Jonas Vingegaard is also not known.

Vingegaard left the hospital on Tuesday, giving a thumbs-up signal after a frightening crash during the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4. The Danish cyclist has been recovering in Spain since the incident, which also involved Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič. Evenepoel suffered a fractured collarbone, while Roglic sustained significant road rash. Vingegaard bore the brunt of the crash, requiring hospitalization.

Jonas Vingegaard leaves hospital

This marked the initial update from the 27-year-old following the crash.

“Hello everyone, it’s time for me to leave the hospital,” he posted on X. “I want to thank all the medical staff for taking so good care of me. And I want to thank everyone for their moral support. I have received a lot of messages, presents and drawings. Heartwarming! Now it’s time to fully recover again. Thumbs up!”

It’s been a rough month for the Dutch squad, but hopefully some of their fallen riders can recover in time for the rest of the season.