Wout van Aert ‘almost killed’ after close pass by honking truck driver
The Belgian was training in preparation for Flanders
Photo by:
Jan Bakelants/Strava
Wout van Aert, one of the strongest riders in the world, was “almost killed” after a cement mixer passed him much too closely. Former pro and training partner, Jan Bakelants, told the story of the awful incident on the Wielerclub Wattage podcast on Tuesday.
The three riders, including ‘cross rider Daan Soete were out on a 150-km training ride in Belgium and the Netherlands when it happened.
According to Bakelants, the truck driver buzzed extremely close to the trio, forcing them off the road. It was so bad that the Jumbo-Visma rider almost “ended up under the cement truck.”
“Because the bike path on the road was not suitable for speeds of 40 to 45 km/h, we rode on the road,” he explained. “Suddenly I heard the horn of a cement truck which drove past us. The driver then closed the door on us while honking.”
It was a terrifying experience, he said.
“Wout was almost dead. He was literally almost under the cement truck. It was really harrowing.”
Thankfully the trio were shaken, but OK. The Tour of Flanders goes down on Sunday.
