Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert broke his clavicle and several ribs in a high-speed mass fall during the Around Flanders one-day race on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old star will now be absent from the blockbuster Tour of Flanders this Sunday and Paris-Roubaix next week. He could return for the Giro d’Italia in May, where he will hope to pick up some stage wins.
The accident occurred with the leading group driving at speeds approaching 60km/h on a wide highway.
Van Aert fell on an uneven surface before being hit by another driver.
Clearly in pain, with his racing suit almost completely destroyed and with abrasions covering his back, he silently screamed in agony as he was carried into the ambulance.
“Unfortunately, Wout van Aert suffered multiple fractures in the crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen today,” his team, Visma, said in a statement.
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“A clavicle fracture and several broken ribs were diagnosed at the hospital. It is not yet clear how long his recovery will take.
“He will definitely miss the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race.”
The Amstel Gold Race takes place on April 14 while the Giro d’Italia, where van Aert stated last week he would be targeting four or five stage wins, starts on May 4.
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Van Aert’s reliability and strength were key factors in Visma’s success in lifting the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana last season.
He has won nine stages in the Tour de France.
His role as ‘road manager’ in the Tour makes him Visma’s top star alongside Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard on a salary of around four million euros per season. (AFP/Z-3)
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