Despite Wout van Aert suffering several major injuries – including broken ribs, collarbone and sternum – at the Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Belgian star could still be in line to start the Giro d'Italia in May.
Van Aert was ruled out of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix following the crash, with his debut at the Giro also a doubt as the Grande Partenza is only a month away.
Van Aert apparently left hospital and returned home on Saturday after undergoing surgery. A friend posted on Instagram that he enjoyed frites and mayonnaise on Sunday but it as not clear if he watched the Tour of Flanders as rival Mathieu van der Poel dominated the race.
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However, despite his Visma-Lease A Bike team saying there is "no news" about Van Aert's recovery so far, Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws has suggested that starting the Giro d'Italia on May 4 is a "serious option".
Van Aert reportedly doesn't want to interfere with his preparation for the Paris Olympic Games later in the year by switching the Giro d'Italia for the Tour de France, so the Italian Grand Tour is still the aim.
"A requirement [to race the Giro] is that the fractures continue to heal properly, the rehabilitation proceeds quickly, and he can complete a minimum of training," Het Laatste Nieuws reported, adding that the 29-year-old would need to grow into the race as he did in the 2021 Tour de France.
"According to our information, the main pain has subsided from his broken ribs, collarbone, and sternum," the newspaper reported.
"Participating in the 2024 Tour de France is not in Van Aert's mind. He has planned an altitude camp in July to prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris. He doesn't want to deviate from that preparation."
Meanwhile, Visma-Lease A Bike directeur sportif Grischa Niermann told Het Laatste Nieuws that the team has no news to report on Van Aert.
"There's no news to report about his rehabilitation," he said, protecting his rider. "We'll look at this further in the coming days and let the doctors decide what is possible."
Van Aert, who will have to wait until next spring to try and add the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix to his palmarès would be working as last man in the lead-out train for young sprinter Olav Kooij should he race the Giro.
Cian Uijtdebroeks is set to lead Visma-Lease A Bike's GC charge with the likes of Wilco Kelderman and Attila Valter racing in supporting roles.
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