Wout van Aert was injured in a mass fall in front of the upcoming Tour of Flanders (March 31) and Paris – Roubaix (April 7) monuments. The 29-year-old Belgian crashed with several other riders on Wednesday in the semi-classic Across Flanders about 68 kilometers from the finish in Waregem and had to give up. The nine-time Tour de France stage winner may be at risk of failing in the upcoming one-day classics.
According to media reports, Van Aert had to be put on a stretcher while crying. It was also over for three other professionals. There is no exact information regarding the injuries yet. In addition to van Aert, the Danish professional Mads Pedersen and the Eritrean Biniam Girmay were also involved in the crash.
Van Aert, teammate of two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, is experiencing a bitter start to the season. Last Friday he also crashed at the E3 Prize and later had to admit defeat to his long-term rival Mathieu van der Poel.
