Wout van Aert had some bad luck toward the end of Stage 11 at the Tour de France, taking a corner too hot and hitting the deck.
“I had a lot of trouble with that. It hurts, but I want to try to start Thursday. We will see how it goes,” the Belgian said to Sporza. “That deep wound will take some time to recover, but I will be able to continue. I was able to finish the ride today. Especially on the bumps and in the descents I was in pain, but I could also just ride a bike.”
Jonas Vingegaard outsprints Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France
The Visma – Lease a Bike went down 45 km from the finish. “I went in too fast, couldn’t brake in time. I knew I had fallen well, but I visited the doctor quickly after arrival. Especially to rule out fractures and there are no,” he said.
Chute de Wout van Aert. pic.twitter.com/xEd2gEiRjQ
— Pierre B. (@Pierre_B_y) July 10, 2024
His teammate Jonas Vingegaard took an incredible win, capping off an astonishing comeback after a horrific crash in Spain in April. Van Aert also crashed in March, which sidelined his season.
Van Aert was forced to take eight weeks off from racing after crashing at Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 27. He suffered fractures in his collarbone, sternum, and seven ribs. Then, he had to withdraw from the remaining Spring Classics and miss his debut at the Giro d’Italia. Following the crash, he underwent an extensive rehabilitation period. He had planned to skip the Tour de France this year and then focus on the Olympic road race as his next goal.
The Belgian returned to racing at the Tour of Norway, two months after his crash. Although suffering on the first day, he had two good results, a fourth and a third, and said that his confidence is coming back.
Before the start, he said he’s in the worst shape of his life for a Grand Tour. But he hopes to ride into form and target stages and help his team.
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