Wout van Aert underwent surgery on his fractured collarbone on Thursday morning in Herentals, Belgium, with his Visma-Lease a Bike team confirming it was “a successful operation”.
The team confirmed that the Belgian rider suffered a broken sternum and broken collarbone as well as multiple fractures to his ribs during Dwars door Vlaanderen in a high-speed crash with 67km remaining in the race.
He was taken to a local hospital in Ronse, where the fractures to his clavicle and rib fractures were first diagnosed. His sternal fracture was confirmed later as he was about to undergo surgery in Herentals by the renown surgeon Tom Claes, the son of the doctor who treated Van Aert in 2019 after his heavy fall in the Tour de France.
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“It is unclear when Wout will be able to get back on his bike. The next few weeks will be all about his recovery,” the Visma-Lease a Bike team said on Thursday following Van Aert’s surgery.
Lidl-Trek teammates Jasper Stuyven and Alex Kirsch also suffered injuries that required surgery, Stuyven to repair a fractured collarbone and Kirsch for a fractured metacarpal in his right hand.
Stuyven was treated at the same Herentals hospital as Van Aert, and the team confirmed his “successful surgery."
“Wout first undergoes surgery in Herentals, immediately after him it is my turn. Maybe we can have a coffee together on our sick bed," Stuyven said to Het Laatste Nieuws.
Stuyven said goodbye to Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix via social media, referencing that his injuries were his version of ‘Hell of the North’ 10 days early.
“All sacrifices we made, the level we reached. Hell came 10 days early. Nothing more to say than wishing everyone the best for coming races & to heal quickly. Thanks for all messages of support. We’ll meet again next year, Flanders,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Like Stuyven, Van Aert will miss the upcoming Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Both races were targets for the Visma-Lease a Bike leader, before his Giro d'Italia debut in May. Now even the Italian Grand Tour in May is indoubt.
"His participation in the Giro d'Italia is still uncertain. We will make a decision in the coming weeks based on his recovery," the team said.
Van Aert was looking for a first victory at the cobbled Monuments after nine attempts. He had dedicated the first part of his 2024 season to those two races, completing an altitude training camp but missing Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.
He was on form, having won Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and taken podium spots at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Saxo Classic, the latter just five days before his crash. He reduced his cyclocross schedule over the winter and used a recent altitude training to elevate his fitness for his targets.
Also injured in the pile-up were Biniam Girmay and Laurenz Rex of Intermarche-Wanty, Gent Wevelgem winner Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Michele Gazzoli (Astana Qazaqstan).
The crash occurred on a fast approach to the Kanarieberg climb when Van Aert clipped a rear wheel of his teammate Tiesj Benoot, Van Aert the first to fall heavily and other riders nearby caught in a pile. Van Aert, Stuyven, Girmay and Gazzoli were taken off the course, while six others involved were able to resume racing.
