The curse continues for Wout van Aert. The Belgian cyclist fell heavily on Wednesday March 27 during the classic Across Flanders, won solo by his teammate from the Visma-Lease a bike team and recent winner of Paris-Nice at the start of the month, the American Matteo Jorgenson.
Forced to throw in the towel, in tears, the 29-year-old Fleming saw his chances of competing in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and Paris-Roubaix on April 7 compromised. He had made the two cobblestone monuments, which are still missing from his list of achievements, the main objective of his season.
Wout Van Aert fell very violently, along with several other favorites in a small peloton chasing behind the breakaway, 67 kilometers from the finish in a right turn taken at full speed. He stood up with difficulty, screaming in pain and disappointment, his shirt torn and his back completely torn, before being evacuated by ambulance.
His compatriot Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and the Eritrean Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty) were also on their way to the hospital, according to their respective teams. The Dane Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), winner of Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday, also found himself on the ground, but was able to restart.
Van der Poel, favorite pour le « Ronde »
Wout van Aert focused his entire start to the year around the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, skipping several races, including Milan-San Remo which he won in 2020, to prepare at altitude in Tenerife , in Spain, during a three-week internship.
Last Friday, he had already fallen, but less heavily, during the E3 Grand Prix, where he was the double defending champion, leaving victory to his great rival Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The Dutchman did not participate in Across Flanders on Wednesday, to preserve himself for the “Ronde”, of which he becomes more than ever the favorite.