Visma Lease-a-Bike star Wout Van Aert suffered a number of rib and collarbone fractures in a crash at this time at Dwars door Vlaanderen and won’t experience the remaining spring classics, in keeping with media stories from Belgium at this time.
This has now been confirmed by his crew:
Replace Wout van Aert:
Sadly, Wout van Aert suffered a number of fractures within the crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen at this time.
A damaged collarbone and several other damaged ribs have been recognized in hospital. It’s unclear how lengthy his restoration will take. He will certainly miss the Tour…
— Workforce Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) March 27, 2024
Lidl-Trek’s Jasper Stuyven, a key lieutenant and darkish horse contender in each Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, can also be anticipated to overlook the cobbled classics from this level on with a damaged collarbone from the identical crash. His crew has not confirmed this but.
For Lidl-Trek’s chief Mads Pedersen, the information is extra cautiously optimistic.
Danish media say that Lidl Trek are hopeful that Mads Pedersen may experience Flanders and Roubaix. He rode again to the bus himself and handed the preliminary concussion verify. https://t.co/7MuO4UZHER
— Katie (@medicinexthings) March 27, 2024
Lastly, Intermarche star Biniam Girmay can also be anticipated to soldier on after taking place in the identical crash.
Additional particulars to come back.
For Van Aert and his Belgian residence followers, it’s a 3rd consecutive disappointment on residence soil, as he was held out of the 2022 Ronde with Covid, and appeared to peak too early final yr after profitable the E3 Saxo Financial institution Traditional and sharing the victory at Gent-Wevelgem with teammate Christophe LaPorte, lowering his health simply sufficient to see him miss the profitable transfer at Flanders. Laporte can also be out for Flanders, leaving the crew brief its two high choices, although Matteo Jorgenson took the honors at Dwars at this time with Tiesj Benoot serving to, and former Paris-Roubaix winner Dylan van Baarle ready within the wings, so they’re removed from hopeless.
Lidl-Trek should hope Pedersen is 100% or near it Sunday, although. No Stuyven means the previous World Champ is their solely rider able to a win, in all probability, although if he can go he can have glorious help from Jonathan Milan and Tom De Clerq.
Mathieu van der Poel will likely be a heavy favourite for a 3rd win, although he’ll see an elevated burden on account of the crashes and the removing of different potential winners.
