Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Rob5091]

Hopefully a full recovery for Wout and all involved in that big crash.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Wout for Vuelta and a full cross season including WC!

 

[Pantani_lives]

Commiserations to Van Aert. Such a great rider, but so often unlucky... He would have fought like a lion on the next two Sundays. His absence really takes the zing out of these races. Hopefully he can fully recover.

 

[Extinction]

Well, for one, MVDP is more gifted in the sport they both competed in as youngsters, cyclocross. MVDP also happens to be world champion on the road, can't remember a lot of cobbles in that race

I like both riders, but if I had the choice, I'd rather be MVDP. Probably even Van Aert would agree.

Wout has dropped Pogacar in the mountains, won the TT and the sprint on the Champs Elisse, don't remember where MVDP was in those races. 😉

 

[Keldergoat]

Wout has dropped Pogacar in the mountains, won the TT and the sprint on the Champs Elisse, don't remember where MVDP was in those races. 😉

I normally already get sick and tired of those Wout vs Mathieu discussions, but a day after Wouts hardest crash in his career I find them even more irritating and misplaced. They're both fantastic riders with a similar, yet slightly different skillset on the bike. Let's cherish those two effing big champions every race they are able to battle each other and let's lament the fact that this is not the case in the two most epic one day races coming up upcoming and next Sunday.

 

[Volderke]

So the medical bulletin got worse:

broke 7 ribs, a collarbone, a scapula (shoulder) and a fracture in the thorax.

The crack in the thorax indicates the impact was very, very hard and the first and foremost thing that should heal in order to make a full comeback is his thorax and ribs so he can breathe without pain, and, as importantly, the crack in his thorax shouldn't result in reduced breathing capacity after healing.

The collarbone, even though I have no details, will in 99% of cases not be an issue post-op as it will be fixed with a plate so no movement = not even a lot of pain anymore.

The shoulder... This depends of whether the blade is broken or the joint. The joint (with the clavicula) is worse (especially for shouldering the bike in CX).

Recovery won't be any less than a full month as the thorax takes longer to heal. So the soonest he'll get on a bike, competitively, will be end of June.

 

[Extinction]

I normally already get sick and tired of those Wout vs Mathieu discussions, but a day after Wouts hardest crash in his career I find them even more irritating and misplaced. They're both fantastic riders with a similar, yet slightly different skillset on the bike. Let's cherish those two effing big champions every race they are able to battle each other and let's lament the fact that this is not the case in the two most epic one day races coming up upcoming and next Sunday.

Take it easy. It's a forum, to debate matters. If anything, I find it unjust to say so and so is more talented and simply wanted to point out it depends on how you look at it and, from that point of view, Wout is arguably more talented, but certainly more versatile.

 

[KenFiamingo]

One of these day cycling leaves a bad taste is my mouth. Having his Tour crash and recovery in mind, i hope he can use this event as another great reset. No rush to the next race, but recover and build towards next year without cx.

 

[Rackham]

So the medical bulletin got worse:

broke 7 ribs, a collarbone, a scapula (shoulder) and a fracture in the thorax.

The crack in the thorax indicates the impact was very, very hard and the first and foremost thing that should heal in order to make a full comeback is his thorax and ribs so he can breathe without pain, and, as importantly, the crack in his thorax shouldn't result in reduced breathing capacity after healing.

The collarbone, even though I have no details, will in 99% of cases not be an issue post-op as it will be fixed with a plate so no movement = not even a lot of pain anymore.

The shoulder... This depends of whether the blade is broken or the joint. The joint (with the clavicula) is worse (especially for shouldering the bike in CX).

Recovery won't be any less than a full month as the thorax takes longer to heal. So the soonest he'll get on a bike, competitively, will be end of June.

That's nasty. I think at this point he should just 'heal up' & not even be thinking of any further goals this season.

 

[Keldergoat]

Take it easy. It's a forum, to debate matters. If anything, I find it unjust to say so and so is more talented and simply wanted to point out it depends on how you look at it and, from that point of view, Wout is arguably more talented, but certainly more versatile.

Ain't no one taking it easier than I am. Just find the MvdP vs WvA tribal conflict/debate an utter nuisance, and on a forum, that's allowed.

OT: with the latest medical update shared by Volderke I'm afraid even the Tour will be too early.

 

[Red Rick]

So the medical bulletin got worse:

broke 7 ribs, a collarbone, a scapula (shoulder) and a fracture in the thorax.

The crack in the thorax indicates the impact was very, very hard and the first and foremost thing that should heal in order to make a full comeback is his thorax and ribs so he can breathe without pain, and, as importantly, the crack in his thorax shouldn't result in reduced breathing capacity after healing.

The collarbone, even though I have no details, will in 99% of cases not be an issue post-op as it will be fixed with a plate so no movement = not even a lot of pain anymore.

The shoulder... This depends of whether the blade is broken or the joint. The joint (with the clavicula) is worse (especially for shouldering the bike in CX).

Recovery won't be any less than a full month as the thorax takes longer to heal. So the soonest he'll get on a bike, competitively, will be end of June.

I take it by thorax you mean the sternum or the pneumothorax

 

[awavey]

That's nasty. I think at this point he should just 'heal up' & not even be thinking of any further goals this season.

Goals are good things to have mentally to aim for when you're banged up as much as he is at the moment.

 

[Rackham]

Goals are good things to have mentally to aim for when you're banged up as much as he is at the moment.

Maybe. But 'goals' are also a double edged sword, i.e. athletes can rush things because they want to recover as fast as possible.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I take it by thorax you mean the sternum or the pneumothorax

That’s what I’m thinking too since the thorax is just the term for your chest. But if it is a pneumothorax (which is likely with the impact and his broken ribs) he’ll have a chest tube for awhile to in order to drain the blood and/or air from the cavity.




A very terrible crash for WVA unfortunately and a season lost
Hopefully he’s able to recover from this.

 

[Berniece]

It's too early to set new goals for this season, but depending on his recovery there are still some nice goals to go for. Starting with the Olympics. He might be able to get to 100% for it, and he has a shot at 2 medals. With the Giro he wanted to try something new, and go for some stage wins, and probably a jersey. You can still do that at the Vuelta, also a GT, and you can check that off your checklist. After that he might be in great shape and go for the WC ITT.

That would still be an amazing season if he's able to win an olympic medal and go for the WC ITT.

He shouldn't think about that now, the wound is too fresh, but for us outsiders it's easier to contemplate the rest of his season already.

 

[scribers]

I’ve got this sinking feeling wva will never be the same after this

 

[Tim Cahill]

This could be an absolute disaster for the Belgian Olympics team too, Van Aert, Stuyven, De Lie all in bad shape. This wasn't the way it was meant to go down, we were all looking forward to the team imploding on the road, tactics being questioned, inquests being called, public apologies and maybe even a crucifixion or two

 

[Ilmaestro99]

This could be an absolute disaster for the Belgian Olympics team too, Van Aert, Stuyven, De Lie all in bad shape. This wasn't the way it was meant to go down, we were all looking forward to the team imploding on the road, tactics being questioned, inquests being called, public apologies and maybe even a crucifixion or two

And all because their teams decided to send them to fking Dwars door Vlanderen 4 days before De Ronde.

The race programme of wva this spring was very silly. Sending stuyven to that race when he already has a very active e3 and gw was also strange.

 

[Rackham]

I’ve got this sinking feeling wva will never be the same after this

We'll see.

What's certain is it happened at the worst possible moment for him. There's never a 'right' time to get demolished in a crash of course but WvA had a disappointing 2023 season by his standards. He'd lost his coach as well (followed Rog to Bora) & was on a new schedule/program aiming to peak in the spring monuments.

He needed a confidence boost so this is a real setback.

 

[Tim Cahill]

And all because their teams decided to send them to fking Dwars door Vlanderen 4 days before De Ronde.

The race programme of wva this spring was very silly. Sending stuyven to that race when he already has a very active e3 and gw was also strange.

Yes and now we won't get to see Remco Evenepoel going in a doomed break with 200km to go featuring Łukasz Wiśniowski, Harry Sweeny and some Kosovan refugees because he was 'riding for Wout'

 

[Netserk]

And all because their teams decided to send them to fking Dwars door Vlanderen 4 days before De Ronde.

The race programme of wva this spring was very silly. Sending stuyven to that race when he already has a very active e3 and gw was also strange.

Van der Poel won Dwars 4 days before he won Ronde the last time (he also rode it in 2021 and 2019 shortly before Ronde). There was nothing inevitable about Benoot standing on the pedals and his back wheel touching Van Aert's front wheel.

 

[Elos Anjos]

We'll see.

What's certain is it happened at the worst possible moment for him. There's never a 'right' time to get demolished in a crash of course but WvA had a disappointing 2023 season by his standards. He'd lost his coach as well (followed Rog to Bora) & was on a new schedule/program aiming to peak in the spring monuments.

He needed a confidence boost so this is a real setback.

Many commentators were stating before the crash that WVA had "something to prove", that it was one of his "last chances". I get where that is coming from as anyone can recognize that, out of bad luck or lack of reading race capabilities or instincts he was underperforming. But at the same time the load of expectation on his shoulders might have been too much.

Many athletes become riders because they're born in a culture prone to cycling. But that same culture puts them under enormous pressure to perform. Had WVA been american and I guess he would feel more lighthearted about racing.

 

[scribers]

Whatever was going on with the curb surely caused the swerving and crash no?

 

[pastronef]

Whatever was going on with the curb surely caused the swerving and crash no?

no, the crash was caused by WVA touching Benoot's real wheel

 

[scribers]

Wouldn’t you leave your lines if the road narrows on a curb?