Wout van Aert will not race again in 2024 after suffering a "serious" knee injury at the Vuelta a España, his Visma-Lease a Bike team has announced.
The 29-year-old slid out on a wet descent on stage 16 of the Grand Tour, crashing into a rocky edge and abandoning the race. In the moments afterwards, blood streamed from his right knee and elbow, although later scans revealed he had no fractures.
In a press release shared on Thursday, Visma-Lease a Bike said Van Aert's injuries require "intensive care" and antibiotics.
"Wout van Aert will not race any more this season," the team said. "The rider from Visma-Lease a Bike needs time to recover from his crash in the Vuelta a España. He suffered a serious knee injury that will require intensive care.
"Van Aert stays in the hospital in Belgium, where he will receive intravenous antibiotics to minimise the risk of infection. He will then take a break to make a full recovery before cautiously setting his sights on the next season."
The Belgian was leading both the points and mountains classifications, having previously worn the red leader's jersey, when he abandoned the Vuelta. He won three stages of the race, marking his first victories since he fractured his collarbone, sternum and seven ribs at Dwars door Vlaanderen in March.
Speaking about Van Aert's latest knee injury, his sports director Grischa Niermann said the rider had "deep wounds" that required stitches.
"As I understand from the doctors, the good news is there are no fractures, but it's still a real injury," Niermann said. "He feels really sorry for himself that he has to leave the race. He had big goals. He wanted to win the green jersey and the mountains jersey, and we wanted to win at least another stage with him. And, of course, there are goals for him after this Vuelta, with the European Championships and with the Worlds.
"It is like this. I know Wout, I know he will come back even stronger – but for now, he's not in the best place."
This year's European Road Championships are taking place between next week in Limburg, Belgium, in Van Aert's home region of Flanders. The 29-year-old was expected to be among the favourites at the event, as well as at the World Championships scheduled in Zurich later this month.
