.@WoutvanAert can continue his race after a crash! #DDV #DDV18 pic.twitter.com/3mhbCScPr9
— Dwars dr Vlaanderen (@DwarsdrVlaander) March 28, 2018
Wout van Aert's transition to a WorldTour-level road rider suffered a slight hiccup on Wednesday when he rode into a moto rider at the side of the road in Dwars Door Vlaanderen and crashed into a field.
The Belgian cyclocross world champion has been making a big impression in his first season contesting the Classics for the UCI Professional Continental Vérandas Willems-Crelan team.
He finished third in Strade Bianche after a long escape, and was 10th in Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday.
The 23-year-old was riding up the right-hand-side of the peloton with around 68km to go in rainy conditions during Dwars Door Vlaanderen when he rode straight into what appeared to be a motorbike marshal who had stopped at the side of the road.
>>> Cyclocross world champion Wout van Aert targetting top 10 in Tour of Flanders debut
The marshal appeared to be trying to warn the bunch of a set of bollards at the roadside when the incident occurred.
Van Aert was sent tumbling into a field, but both he and the moto rider got up soon after the crash. Van Aert quickly remounted his bike and rejoined the race.
After Dwars Door Vlaanderen, van Aert is scheduled to ride in Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
