"To stand still is to go backwards" - Wout van Aert posts hour-walk Strava walk as he returns to activity following brutal crash

One week ago exactly today, Wout van Aert suffered a very hard crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen which left him with a broken sternum, collarbone and three ribs. Today, he returns to physical activity with a long walk.

The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider spent two days at the hospital in Herentals, having undergone a successful surgery, and returned home ahead of the weekend. The crash meant he had no chance of racing the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, which he could now only keep up with on TV.

However the Dutch team remain hopeful of a quick recovery in time for the Giro d'Italia, and see the positive signs. Van Aert has now gone for a walk close to home where he clocked in 4 kilometers in around an hour, a modest but important return to physical activity.

The Belgian will now focus all his attention into his recovery, over the next three weeks it will be understood whether it will still be possible for him to start the Giro d'Italia even if not in his best form. The Olympic Games are a major goal this season and the team remain focused on keeping the initial schedule as intact as possible.