Wout van Aert will return to racing at subsequent week’s Tour of Norway for the primary time since breaking his collarbone, ribs and sternum at Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 27.
The Belgian star noticed his Spring Classics marketing campaign and deliberate debut on the Giro d’Italia derailed when he crashed at excessive pace within the one-day Basic simply 4 days earlier than his massive objective of the Tour of Flanders.
A protracted rehabilitation interval adopted, with Van Aert first getting again to strolling earlier than a staggered return to driving a motorbike the place he used a mountain bike and gravel bike earlier than he returned to regular coaching in April.
“It hasn’t all the time been straightforward sitting on the sidelines, however happily, I can now look forward once more”, Van Aert mentioned in a launch from the group.
“I’m trying ahead to pinning on a race quantity once more. I’ve been in a position to prepare increasingly in latest weeks, however it’s nonetheless completely different from racing. So, my most important objective is to check myself and see how I do in a race. With none expectations.”
The Tour of Norway is a four-day, 2.professional stage race, beginning on Thursday, Could 23 in Voss and ending on Sunday, Could 26 in Stavanger. Van Aert has solely raced there as soon as beforehand in 2017.
As acknowledged, there will not be any expectations on Van Aert and it’ll merely be about gaining race rhythm and getting the physique again used to racing, serving as a part of his rehabilitation.
“It is nice to have Wout again within the group after his crash. He begins with none stress to carry out,” mentioned sports activities director Merijn Zeeman. “It is a good second for him to check himself in competitors once more.”
For now, that is all that has been introduced for Van Aert, with no point out of a doable sixth look on the Tour de France. He wasn’t meant to trip it in 2024 however circumstances have modified because the crash, nevertheless, with the Paris Olympics in August set as his greatest remaining objective this season, he could take extra time to make sure he’s at his finest for the time trial and street race.
“We do not know but what the remainder of his race schedule will seem like. We’ll see within the coming weeks,” mentioned Zeeman.
“We’re taking issues one step at a time. That has confirmed to be one of the best ways to recuperate,” concurred Van Aert.
He’ll be joined in Norway by Bart Lemmen, Koen Bouwman, Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising and Per Strand Hagenes, with the likes of Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) additionally on the provisional begin listing.
