Still not clear when Wout van Aert will race again after Tour de France crash
Jumbo-Visma say the cyclocross star will remain in hospital for a few more days
Wout van Aert is still unsure when he will be back to racing after a gruesome injury he suffered at the Tour de France.
The Belgian star fell in the final 2km of the stage 13 time trial in Pau after hitting a barrier, suffering a deep wound to his right leg.
Van Aert has undergone two surgeries since the crash 10 days ago, and his Jumbo-Visma team are still not sure when he will return to competition.
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Team doctor Toon Claes said on Tuesday (July 30): “There are no signs of any infections and the wounds are healing nicely.
“The extent and complexity of the injury call for a slow, meticulous rehabilitation. Intensive rehabilitation is only started after two months, when the injury was healed sufficiently. “
Van Aert suffered a deep wound hit his right buttock area and had the wound surgically purified and sutured in hospital in France, and underwent a further operation after moving to hospital in Belgium.
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The 24-year-old, who won a stage from a bunch sprint on his first time in the Tour de France, had been targeting a return to the cyclocross circuit this winter.
But recovery from his injury is slow and his season is now in doubt.
Van Aert said: “Last week, I had an operation in Pau and afterwards, I stayed in the hospital for four days.”
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“Everything went well. I could walk on crutches and the doctor said I needed some time to recover. After that, I was transferred to another hospital. Over there, they examined me again. It seemed the first operation wasn’t enough to ensure the recovery. That’s why I needed a second one.”
Van Aert has impressed on his debut season with a WorldTour team, scoring podium places at Strade Bianche and E3 BinckBank before he took two stages and the points classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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