Van Aert In High-speed Crash In Around Flanders Race

Zeeshan Mehtab Published March 27, 2024 | 10:19 PM

Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert was the main victim of a spectacular high-speed crash during the Around Flanders cycling classic on Wednesday

Waregem, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2024) Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert was the main victim of a spectacular high-speed crash during the Around Flanders cycling classic on Wednesday.

A mass collision in the peloton caused by an uneven road surface brought down up to a dozen riders, with Van Aert suffering major abrasions to his back as his yellow Visma team jersey was ripped almost entirely off.

The accident occurred on a three-lane highway where there appeared to be one lane slightly higher than the neighbouring two.

Other high-profile riders hurt were Eritrea's Biniam Girmay, Belgian Jasper Stuyven of Lidl-Trek and his Danish teammate Mads Pedersen.

All four of those riders have won major classics and would have been contenders for the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and Paris-Roubaix next Sunday, two major dates on the one-day racing Calendar.

Van Aert was one of the favourites for Sunday's Tour of Flanders where up to 750,000 fans usually turn out for Belgium's biggest sports event.

The 29-year-old Van Aert sobbed and rocked in agony as he was placed onto a stretcher and transferred to an ambulance.