Fracture in the ankle? Nothing prevents Wout van Aert from training hard in preparation for the all-important spring classics that are coming up. And Axel Merckx has something to say about that…
At first glance, the 31-year-old Van Aert seemed to be out for a longer period of time. However, nothing could be further from the truth, as we discovered last week. While the training camp in Spain should first serve as a recovery camp, he and his teammates completed a ride of almost 200 (!) kilometers on Friday, with a total of almost 3,000 meters of elevation gain.
Can Van Aert win a Monument?
Van Aert is certainly recovering quickly and making progress, who hopes with all his heart to finally catch a big fish again. With reservations, the versatile driver will successively ride – as far as classics are concerned – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
But won’t the fall at Zilvermeer in Mol have more impact than we might now suspect? Axel Merckx thinks so, as he hinted in a conversation with The Last Hour. “I don’t think Van Aert will win a cobblestone monument this year,” said the son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx.
Merckx is clear about spring Wout van Aert
“Wout recently suffered an ankle injury and this will inevitably have consequences for his preparation for the road season,” Merckx junior, who was recently announced to be in a relationship with Lotte Kopecky, explained.
Van Aert’s entourage nevertheless remains positive. “But the reality of the injury should not be forgotten or ignored,” says Merckx. ”His preparation is simply delayed. He can train less intensively at times when his competitors can. Something like that can have an impact in the finals of major races.”
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