Wout van Aert finally looked to be almost the better of cyclo-cross World Champion Mathieu van der Poel for the first time this season during the Exact Cross in Mol on Friday, suggesting he was arriving at peak form.
However, the snowy conditions led to a hard fall for the Belgian and worrying signs as Van Aert then dropped out of the race while visiting the mechanical pits.
The Visma-Lease a Bike team later revealed that Van Aert was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and "a small fracture", and will undergo surgery on Saturday. The incident calls an end to Van Aert's limited cyclo-cross campaign.
“Of course I am very disappointed to have to end my cyclocross season like this,” Van Aert said. “I was feeling better and better, including today in Mol. I was really looking forward to the race in Zonhoven and the Belgian Championships. But my focus will now be on recovery and, later on, the preparation of the road season.”
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After the crash, which happened as he followed Van der Poel on a paved curve, had blood on his right knee – the same one he had seriously injured in a fall during the 2024 Vuelta a España – but Visma-Lease a Bike manager Jan Boven explained to Het Nieuwsblad that there was a more serious issue.
"He couldn't finish the race and is experiencing significant pain in his ankle. It needs further investigation before we can draw any real conclusions," Boven said.
"He has minor abrasions on his knee, but that's it. His ankle is the most painful. It's so swollen, we have to see what examinations show now."
Van Aert was at the front of the race in Mol, known as Zilvermeercross, along with Van der Poel, Felipe Orts of Spain, and European Champion Toon Aerts after the first lap. An acceleration two laps later left only the two superstars in the lead, taking turns on the front.
Van der Poel got away but then crashed and Van Aert rejoined him, but after two laps, Van Aert slid out on a paved turn and fell heavily. He was quickly up and riding but only as far as the material zone, where he climbed off.
Now, the final showdown between the pair that was scheduled for Sunday at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Zonhoven is no longer on the cards.
The fact that Van Aert was showing signs of finally reaching top form for 'cross makes the crash even more bitter. "In Loenhout, the battle with Van der Poel was also close, but he had two punctures. Today he seemed really at ease," Boven said before explaining that Van der Poel's small mistake in the same corner did not lead to Van Aert's crash.
"That certainly wasn't the cause of his fall, but Wout was startled, and he thought he'd made a small mistake. It was a real shock reaction. Felipe Orts had also fallen a lap earlier; it was a slippery corner."
Journalist Jonas Creteur pointed out on X that it was Van Aert's first DNF in 239 elite races.
