“The 2026 Classics are over before they even began” – Tim Wellens ‘very disappointed’ as surgery rules UAE man out of spring

Tim Wellens has confirmed that his 2026 Classics campaign is over, admitting he is “very disappointed” after undergoing surgery following his crash at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne.

In a post on Instagram, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider wrote: “The 2026 Classics are over before they even began. Right clavicle fractured. Surgery went well thanks to the excellent medical team at the hospital, and the recovery process has already started.”

The Belgian had already been forced to abandon Kuurne after going down in a crash during the nervous run towards what he had earlier described as a key point in the race. The fall immediately raised fears about the severity of the injury. Those fears have now been confirmed.

Wellens added: “Very disappointed to miss the upcoming races, but I’ll be fully supporting my UAE Team Emirates teammates from home. Thank you, everyone, for all the messages — replies might be a bit slower for now with only one arm.”

The timing makes the setback particularly cruel.

Opening Weekend had marked the start of Wellens’ Classics programme, with Kuurne intended as part of his early spring build-up. Instead, the crash not only ended his race but brought his entire campaign to an abrupt halt before it had properly begun.

The 2026 spring had already been expected to see Wellens play an important role within UAE’s one-day structure, both as an attacking option in selective races and as a key support rider in harder Classics terrain. Those plans now have to be rewritten.

For Wellens himself, the disappointment was clear in his wording. The phrase “over before they even began” underlines just how quickly the optimism of Opening Weekend has turned into rehabilitation.

The focus now shifts to recovery, with surgery successfully completed and the rehabilitation process underway. For the immediate future, however, the Belgian will be watching the Classics from home rather than shaping them on the road.