"Wout was crying out in pain" - Shaken Mick van Dijke struggles to celebrate Visma's Dwars Door Vlaanderen victory after nasty van Aert crash

Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 12:20

Team Visma | Lease a Bike were ultimately successful at Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2024 as Matteo Jorgenson powered to victory after a late attack. After the very nasty crash of their leader, Wout van Aert however, celebrations were notably muted.

Mick van Dijke was right next to van Aert when the crash happened and carried the effects of the crash for the rest of the race in his mind. "I did the pull towards Berg Ten Houte, which put me behind that group with Tim van Dijke, Wout, Matteo and Tiesj Benoot. Tim then did the work to the Kanarieberg, where he did a full lead-out. I just spoke to him and he said that he had the throttle fully open, but then heard a crash behind him and Wout sliding on his back on the ground," he recaps to In de Leiderstrui.

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The effects of the crash were immediately known to van Dijke with a piercing scream from his leader signalling the heavy nature of the incident. "I passed by afterwards and Wout was crying out in pain, so of course you don't feel good at all," he continues. "I saw that Wout was actually completely undressed. As cyclists we have little protection."

"It's all in good fun, that the action being whipped up. But then things can sometimes go wrong and that has unfortunately happened now," van Dijke concludes. "Wout is our leader. I don't know how he is doing now, but your thoughts are there. The fact that we still win says enough about our team. That's why we can still do the final, which is nice, but it feels very strange. It's nice from a sporting point of view, but... we do lose our leader."

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3 Comments

DarkHoleDragon 03 June 2024 at 21:34+ 69

That crash has halt his bid on TDF GC glory for at least another year...

VgnRider 03 June 2024 at 21:34+ 125

Having had these types of injuries myself, I don't think Wout was crying solely in pain, it was more from the realisation that he knew somewhat the consequences of his injuries, and what he was going to miss out on in terms of racing. Wishing him all the best for a quick recovery!

Mistermaumau 03 June 2024 at 21:34+ 3416

Yes, in a trauma of that scale in the moment itself you feel no pain as the body pumps you full of adrenaline and pain killing hormones, in fact the first 10-15m you are unlikely to feel anything except nervousness. I’ve had situations where my first thought was to get back on the bike and an hour later shaking uncontrollably or walking on with a broken bike but then losing consciousness during showering. After a car crash, I managed to climb out the sunroof with broken ribs and collar bone, coughing blood and not feeling a thing, just because my instinct was, smell of fuel, gotta get out quick, without the depth of thought to remember the car was a diesel :-)