Wout van Aert’s is out of the Tour of Flanders and the remaining spring Classics after fracturing his collarbone and several ribs in a high-speed mass crash 67km from the finish of Dwars door Vlaanderen.
"Unfortunately, Wout van Aert suffered several fractures in the crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen," Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed after Van Aert underwent x-rays and a medical check-up.
"A broken collarbone and several broken ribs were diagnosed in hospital. It is unclear how long his recovery will take. Van Aert will definitely miss the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race."
Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) also fell in the same crash, which took place shortly after the climb of Berg ten Houte and on the fast approach to the key Kanarieberg climb.
"They were passing us to accelerate on the left side, so Wout shouted at me to accelerate, which I did, but I think Wout touched my wheel. I feel really shit about it," teammate Tiesj Benoot revealed.
"I was on Wout’s wheel at the time of the crash, just before the Kanarieberg climb," eventually race winner Matteo Jorgenson said.
"It was a decisive moment in the race but it was a racing incident. We had two lead out trains: Lidl-Trek and us and basically we came together, I think Wout an Alex Kirsch came together and it was a really ugly fall. I saw the whole thing and knew that Wout was going to be out of he race."
Van Aert was in visible and audible pain as he sat on the roadside after the incident, with his ripped jersey and the abrasions on his back and shoulder clearly demonstrating the impact of the crash.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was helped onto a stretcher shortly afterwards, his race over.
Stuyven sustained an apparent collarbone injury in the crash, and he also abandoned the race. His Lidl-Trek teammate Pedersen, another Tour of Flanders contender, was able to remount, albeit after a long pause. He rode to the Lidl-Trek team bus, with road rash visible on several parts of his body.
Girmay was also forced to abandon the race due to his injuries, and the Eritrean’s Tour of Flanders participation is also in doubt. However his Intermarche-Wanty team later said he had not suffered any fractures.
Sporza in-race reporter Renaat Schotte was among the first people to arrive on the scene of the crash. “This is one of the worst falls I have seen,” he said.
“Not only because of the impact, but also because of the emotions afterwards.”
Visma-Lease a Bike were left shocked by the crash and so struggled to celebrate Jorgenson's victory. But directeur sportif Grischa Niermann tried to rally his riders.
“It’s very unfortunate because our spring campaign is about the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, they’re the two races we want to win," Niermann said after the race.
"We’ll have to see tonight when we have some news. In any case we will start on Sunday with seven strong riders."
At least 10 riders came down in the crash, which took place at high speed on a wide stretch of road as the peloton of favourites approached the Kanarieberg.
Van Aert, Stuyven, Girmay and Michele Gazzoli (Astana-Qazaqstan) all abandoned the race, while Pedersen, Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Alex Kirsch (Lidl-Trek), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost) and Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Dstny) also came down in the crash.
The incident looks set to change the complexion of the Tour of Flanders, given the doubts now cast over the participation of contenders Van Aert, Stuyven and Girmay.
Van Aert had tailored his preparation for the 2024 season expressly around the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The Belgian had opted for a reduced cyclocross programme over the winter and he eschewed Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo in favour of a three-week training camp at Mount Teide.
On Friday, Van Aert returned to competition at E3 Harelbeke, placing third after suffering a crash on the Paterberg. He had opted for Dwars door Vlaanderen over Gent-Wevelgem as his final race before the Ronde.
Visma-Lease a Bike have endured an ill-starred week on the cobbles, with Christophe Laporte already ruled out of the Ronde due to illness. Dylan van Baarle’s participation is in doubt after illness forced him out of Dwars door Vlaanderen, while Jan Tratnik abandoned earlier on Wednesday, having already been forced out of Gent-Wevelgem by a crash.
Stuyven impressed in placing second at E3 Saxo Classic, and his Lidl-Trek squad marked themselves as top contenders for Tour of Flanders victory when Pedersen outlasted Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to win Gent-Wevelgem.
After a difficult 2023 season, Girmay had been enjoying a return to form on the cobbles this week, with solid displays at both E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem.
