Wout van Aert out of Tour des Flandres with Covid-19

Wout van Aert has met his main rival for this spring in an unexpected way. Covid-19 has dealt another big blow in the peloton, as it forces the Jumbo-Visma leader to withdraw from the race with less than two days until it's start.

Van Aert said in a short video shared by the Jumbo-Visma team: "Hello everyone, a short message from me to everyone. It was two hectic days. I can announce that I won't be at the start of the Tour of Flanders this Sunday. Yesterday morning, I woke up with a sore threat. Two quick tests proved I tested positive for COVID-19. Two PCR tests confirmed it, so there is no change for me to be at the start." The Belgian champion has won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Saxo Bank Classic, alongside a set of impressive performances at Paris-Nice. He had set himself as one of the undisputed candidates for the victory in the second monument of the season, but has had to withdraw due to a Covid-19 infection.

"The good news is that I only have mild symptoms, a sore throat and a mild cold. It strengthens my hope that I will recover and get back into action soon," he added. "It's a mystery where I've picked up this infection I've put in a lot of effort to avoid over the past two years, particularly in the last weeks and months. Of course, we were exposed before, during and after races, like last weekend. Evidently I can't control it. It catches me at the worst possible moment.

Despite Jumbo-Visma's dominant performances this spring, this absence comes as a big blow to the aspirations in Flandres. Tiesj Benoot and Christophe Laporte make for a very strong duo with ambitions that can still be guided towards a possible win, but the team is no longer ahead of the competition.

"I will focus on my further recovery in the upcoming days before I think about the future again... Thanks to everyone for the big support message the last few days. Reading them gave me a lot of pleasure. That's why I thought it was important to hear from me. And hopefully I will see you soon," he concluded.