Wout Van Aert announce that won’t be racing in this season again due to his health conditi…..
Wout Van Aert injured knee in Vuelta crash. team say
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – Wout van Aert suffered a “serious” knee injury but no fracture in the crash that ended his involvement in the Vuelta a Espana, the Belgian’s Visma-Lease team said on Wednesday
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Wout Van Aert injured knee in Vuelta crash. team say
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – Wout van Aert suffered a “serious” knee injury but no fracture in the crash that ended his involvement in the Vuelta a Espana, the Belgian’s Visma-Lease team said on Wednesday.
Wout van Aert crashed out of the Vuelta on Tuesday
Wout van Aert crashed out of the Vuelta on Tuesday © MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP
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Van Aert, winner of three stages in the race and leading both the mountain and points classification, was forced to pull out on Tuesday after a heavy fall in the 16th stage.
His team reported: “Wout Van Aert did not suffer a fracture in his fall on the Vuelta.
“The 29-year-old rider did however pick up a serious knee injury requiring intensive medical care.”
The team added in the post on social media that Van Aert was returning to Belgium to continue his recovery.
Van Aert has endured a tough 2024, suffering multiple fractures after a bone-crunching high speed fall in March in the Tour of Flanders which forced him to miss the remaining Spring one-day classics.
But he returned in good form and picked up an Olympic time-trial bronze medal in Paris in July.
Tuesday’s latest tumble has thrown into doubt his participation in the road world championships in Zurich at the end of the month.
Ben O’Connor clings on to Vuelta red jersey as Wout van Aert crashes out
Marc Soler found a superb late surge to win stage 16 of the Vuelta a España, on a dramatic day in the mountains with Primoz Roglic cutting Ben O’Connor’s overall lead to just five seconds as Wout van Aert crashed out of the race.
Soler (UAE Team Emirates) was first to reach the summit finish at Lagos de Covadonga, in a time of 4hr 44min 46sec. “To win at home in the Vuelta is very special,” Soler told Eurosport.
The Spaniard burst clear of a breakaway group with five kilometres of climbing to go and he proved unstoppable. Italy’s Filippo Zana (Jayco-Alula) and Britain’s Max Poole (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) came home in second and third place respectively.
“I’ve attacked a lot but this time I was able to finish it off,” Soler said. “It was a very, very high-quality breakaway, but I knew that if I got away I had a chance. Max Poole followed me and the pace was high behind, but I did it.”
Primoz Roglic, who trailed Ben O’Connor by 1min 3sec at the start of the day, began to build a lead over his title rival on the uncategorised final climb.
At one stage, it looked as though Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) would take the red jersey, but O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) dug in to keep the overall lead by just 5sec.
I could do with a hot shower, I’m absolutely freezing,” O’Connor said afterwards. “I have the red jersey for tomorrow, I’m going to soak it up, enjoy it as much as I can, because I’m not sure it’s going to last that long. I’d be surprised [if I keep it] on Friday, but hopefully I can have it for a couple more days.”
The green jersey wearer, Wout van Aert, was forced to abandon the race after a heavy crash. The Belgian rider, winner of three stages of this year’s Vuelta, injured his right knee after falling on a slippery descent with more than 50km of the stage from Luanco still to race.
Van Aert (Visma Lease-a-bike) received treatment from team medics but was unable to continue. The green jersey now goes to Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) while fellow Australian Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) leads the mountain classification.
On Wednesday the 17th stage offers some respite for the race leaders with just two category-two climbs along the 141.5km route to Santander.
