Wout van Aert has announced that he will be unable to make his Giro d’Italia debut next month following his spring Classics-ending crash and resulting injuries suffered at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Speaking in a video message released by Visma-Lease A Bike on Thursday afternoon, the Belgian stated that he’s “doing well” after fracturing his collarbone, sternum and multiple ribs during the mass crash at the race in late March.
However, he said that he is still unable to train, meaning it will be impossible for him to be fit enough to make it to the Giro d’Italia’s Grande Partenza in Piemonte on May 4.
“Hello, everyone. I’m really happy to tell you I’m doing well. I’m recovering from all my injuries at the moment after my crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen,” Van Aert said.
“A lot of my injuries are quite good at the moment, but my ribs are still a limiting factor so at this point I cannot train at all. I tried to do my first pedal strokes on the bike but not enough to be able to train. That’s why we made the decision to not start in the Giro d’Italia.
"It’s a big shame and I’m really disappointed to miss also my second goal of the season, but at this moment I need to prioritise my health and I need to give my body the time to recover.”
Van Aert didn’t announce any plans for an alternate programme, but he could now return to the Tour de France in the summer in support of two-time reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games in August.
Visma-Lease a Bike added in a subsequent social media post that Christophe Laporte will replace Van Aert in their eight-rider roster for the Giro d'Italia.
On Wednesday, Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed that Wilco Kelderman will also miss the Giro d'Italia due to a fractured collarbone. He will be replaced by Koen Bouwman. The team should include sprinter Olav Kooij and young GC rider Cian Uijtdebroeks. The Corsa Rosa starts in Turin on Saturday, May 4.
The decision to miss the Giro means that 29-year-old Van Aert has now been forced out of all of his main early-season goals, including the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, both of which were won by his eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel.
His next focus will be the road race in Paris, which falls on August 3, while later in the season he will also be taking aim at the world championships in Zürich in late September.
Van Aert had planned to complete the Giro d'Italia and then train at altitude in July for the Olympics. However participation at the Tour de France, where he’s won nine stages and the points jersey in five starts, could now be on the cards, with this year’s race running from June 29-July 21 and potentially serving as a ‘warm-up’ of sorts for his Olympic dream.
Van Aert’s Dwars crash was one of many misfortunes to befall Visma-Lease A Bike during the recent cobbled Classics campaign, despite big wins coming at Opening Weekend and at Dwars door Vlaanderen with Matteo Jorgenson.
The team missed Van Aert, Jorgenson, and 2022 champion Dylan van Baarle at the weekend’s Paris-Roubaix, though twins Mick and Tim van Dijke salvaged something for the Dutch squad with top-20 placings.
Visma-Lease a Bike's GC leader Vingegaard is also expected to be out of action for a long spell after falling in a high-speed crash at Itzulia Basque Country and fracturing his collarbone and several ribs.
A timeline for his return to competition has still to be confirmed.
