Wout van Aert has been forced to abandon the Vuelta after brutally crashing on Stage 16. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was leading the points and mountains classifications. 😢 #LaVuelta24
"He needs to pick up the bike-handling skills again so he doesn't fall anymore" - Experts urge Wout van Aert to ride full cyclocross campaign this winter
CyclingWednesday, 11 September 2024 at 09:26
For Wout van Aert, 2024 has been a year consistently disrupted by crashes and subsequent injuries. After showing signs of returning to his best form at the Vuelta a Espana, this Belgian once again was once again a victim of a crash.
"Of course he's disappointed. He'll be satisfied somewhere and if he goes to the Giro next year, he'll have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours," Eurosport pundit Jan Hermsen reflects. "But of course this is a shitty end to the year. His goal was to become world champion or European champion. We've seen the best Wout van Aert of the entire year and that ends against a Spanish wall. That's really sour."
Was the Wout van Aert we saw at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana the best version of the Belgian though? Jeroen Vanbelleghem isn't so sure. "He said himself he was very good, but not at the level of the Tour a few years ago," the expert analyses. "You also saw that in a few mountain stages where he had to drop off quite early given the group that was still together. Then in the Tour he went much further along.”
“He was getting really good and it's such a shame," Vanbelleghem continues however, well aware that the crash of a Van Aert is also a big blow to Belgian hopes of winning either the European title or the Rainbow Jersey. "He was really getting ready for the World Championship. It has unfortunately gone this way and it has been a terrible season for him."
But why is Van Aert such a crash magnet? According to Bobbie Traksel, the multi-discipline star's bike handling abilities might have trailed off a bit in recent season. “I actually hope he will ride a full cyclocross season again," says Traksel. "He needs to pick up the bike-handling skills again so he doesn't fall anymore. I'm referring to the fall in the Tour de France. That would never happen to a real cross rider. I do think this is going to take a little longer and it's quite a mental tick.”
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Total Energies necessarily mean a lot just all they got. Insert Scotty's voice here.Sweep21-11-2024
- Demi Vollering to FDJVgnRider20-11-2024
- We all know where Bjarne Riis' cycling talent came from.
santiagobenites20-11-2024 - Not unlike many of the articles on this site.santiagobenites20-11-2024
- I'm a booster of the USA and USADA bent the rules just to get the "big fish". Hincapie, Julich, VanderVelde etc just skated. They suffered no consequences. George sitting in his huge house on Piney Mountain laughs at everyone.
ScottG20-11-2024 - Total Energies needs an excuse why they rarely win...ScottG20-11-2024
- His disease is he is an animal, haha. Wout is a total machine and fun to watch race.ScottG20-11-2024
- Pure clickbaitonegear2920-11-2024
- He was officially Roglified. What a tremendous season overall!Front24220-11-2024
- Talented lol Riis massive doper HAHA Rasmussen doper yes really talented lolpaultryan200220-11-2024