Wout van Aert's doctor admits 'huge blow' for Belgian - "He won’t be able to train for a few weeks, let alone compete"

Wout van Aert is one of the most talented and successful pro riders but despite this, he has equally found himself often just missing out on huge results. He was always very consistent but in 2024 it were massive injuries that prevented him from taking big results. After crashing out of the Vuelta and being forced out of even more goals, those close to him say he is devastated.

"This is a huge blow. Mentally, Wout is having a really hard time. He doesn't want any visitors at the moment, only from his wife and his boys," family doctor Peter T'Seyen told Sporza. "He had [decided to] skipped the European Championships close to home, but he still hoped for the Cycling World Championships and the Gravel World Championships in his own country. Especially after his spring and with the form he was in. He felt like a rider again, for me he was almost at the level of the Tour in 2022."

The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider was truly in great form, racing to three stage wins during the Vuelta a España and delivering the results he had hoped for a long time. Van Aert was leading both points and KOM classification when he crashed on a descent in stage 16 and was forced to withdraw from the race. “He was glad that he hadn’t broken anything. But doctor Steven Claes was able to determine that it was a deep wound. So deep that Wout is still in hospital to avoid an infection.”

Van Aert is still in the hospital two days later, and race footage showed how brutal his wounds were after crashing into rocks on the side of the road. “It’s not a superficial wound. The wound almost goes into the joint and is very dirty. The risk of an infection is too great. That’s why antibiotics are currently useful and necessary."

This morning, the team confirmed that he has ended his season. Besides losing the jerseys he was expected to win in Madrid this Sunday, he is also forced to miss out on the World Championships - where with this form, he was a clear contender for a medal on both events. "In the short term, he won’t be able to train for a few weeks, let alone compete. He can’t take any risks with a view to the future," T'Seyen concluded.