Wout van Aert has deserted the Vuelta a España after he crashed on the descent of the Collada Llomena on stage 16 to Lagos de Covadonga.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider injured his left knee when he crashed with a shade over 50km remaining, having led over the primary two climbs of the stage as a part of the day’s early break.
Van Aert tried to rejoin the race after receiving a substitute bike, however he was unable to pedal and in clear discomfort. He stopped once more after a number of hundred metres, climbing into the Visma workforce automotive.
Van Aert got here down on a pointy left-hand bend after fellow escapee Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla) had crashed in entrance of him. Isaac del Toro (UAE Workforce Emirates) additionally went down behind Van Aert however solely the Visma rider appeared to endure severe accidents.
“Wout was taken to hospital by ambulance. There he’ll endure examinations,” Sports activities Director Grischa Niermann stated in a workforce social put up. “After all we’re so unhappy seeing him depart the Vuelta on this method. Luck has not been on our aspect this season. All of us really feel for him.”
The workforce later added in a medical replace that Van Aert had not suffered any fractures because of the crash.
“The three-time stage winner needed to withdraw because of extreme knee ache brought on by a deep wound,” stated the workforce within the follow-up medical report launched late on Tuesday. “That wound requires intensive care. Wout will journey again to Belgium to proceed his restoration.”
Van Aert had additionally crashed at the beginning of stage 16 because the break was forming however with none severe impact.
The Belgian was main each the factors and king of the mountains classifications at this Vuelta after a string of glowing performances over the primary two weeks that noticed him decide up a hat-trick of stage wins.
He’s the second Visma-Lease a Bike rider to crash out of the 2024 Vuelta. On stage 2 Dylan van Baarle turned the primary abandon of the race when he fell closely, fracturing his hip.
It stays to be seen if Van Aert will recuperate in time to line out for the Belgian workforce on the World Championships street race in Zurich on September 29. He was additionally because of line out on the European Championships on dwelling roads in Hasselt.
Van Aert’s authentic plans for the 2024 season had been ruined by a heavy crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen that left him with a damaged collarbone and compelled him out of the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and a deliberate Giro d’Italia debut.
He returned to motion in time to line out on the Tour de France in assist of Jonas Vingegaard and he claimed a bronze medal within the time trial on the Paris 2024 Olympics.
First utilized in 2021 within the Vuelta a España as a warm-up climb for Lagos de Covadonga, that yr the descent of the Collada Llomena acquired a repute for being extraordinarily technical. That yr Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek), using on the time for Movistar, suffered a significant crash on the identical downhill the place Van Aert fell and was additionally compelled to desert because of his accidents.
After Van Baarle’s abandon and Cian Uijtdebroeks quitting with COVID-19, Van Aert’s exit from the race leaves Visma-Lease a Bike with simply 5 riders left within the race. It has additionally unexpectedly put Australia’s Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) into the inexperienced jersey as Van Aert had regarded to have the factors classification sewn up with a lead of greater than 100 factors at the beginning of the stage.
“To be clear not the best way we needed it,” stated Alpecin-Deceuninck of the inexperienced jersey in a press release on social media. “Above all, we want Wout a speedy restoration.”
