Wout van Aert was caught up in the aftermath of a huge peloton crash on his very first race day back at the 2026 Tour of Denmark. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike star avoided hitting the ground himself during the mass pile-up on Stage 1, but was left stranded in a second group as the race split apart around him.
Van Aert was making his first competitive appearance since an elbow injury and subsequent infection ruled him out of the Tour de France. His return had already become eventful before the race even reached the finishing circuits in Aalborg.
Visma had moved to the front as strong winds created the threat of echelons, with Van Aert himself contributing to the pace when the first gaps began to appear.
Moments later, a major crash erupted in the middle of the peloton and brought down a large number of riders. Van Aert remained upright, but the incident scattered the bunch across the road and separated him from the leading group.
Van Aert left behind as Laporte makes front split
While Christophe Laporte and several other Visma riders emerged in a front selection of around 25 riders, Van Aert found himself more than a minute behind in the second main group.
The Belgian appeared calm despite the unexpected setback, but his teammates were forced to abandon their work at the front once it became clear that their biggest name had missed the split.
Cooperation soon deteriorated among the leaders and the Van Aert group gradually reduced the deficit. The two main sections eventually came back together with 58 kilometres remaining, returning the former Tour of Denmark winner to the front of the race. Van Aert therefore escaped without a fall or any lasting time loss, but there was no gentle reintroduction to racing after his enforced absence.
His very first race day back had already included crosswind attacks, a mass crash and a frantic chase before the opening stage had even entered its decisive final hour.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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