An unnamed illness will keep Visma’s star out of the Classics opener.
Kristof Ramon
Fate or luck or whatever it is simply can’t give this man a break. Wout van Aert will not start Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this Saturday after falling ill. The Belgian had been scheduled to open his road season at the traditional Classics opener, but will instead sit out the race as he recovers.
Team Visma Lease a Bike did not specify the nature of the illness and did not confirm whether Van Aert will still be able to race the Ename Samyn Classic on Tuesday, where he remains provisionally listed. Van Aert won Omloop in 2022.
“Obviously, it’s a big blow for me to miss out on my first race, having prepared for the classics season the whole winter,” Van Aert said.
The illness is the latest interruption in a difficult run into van Aert’s spring Classics campaign. Van Aert suffered a fractured ankle at the Exact Cross race in Mol on January 2, an injury that required surgery and initially threatened his early-season plans. His recovery had appeared on track, but his altitude camp in Sierra Nevada was also disrupted by poor weather. He spent hours on an indoor trainer instead of out on the road. That in itself isn’t a season-ender (see Matthew Hayman’s win at Paris-Roubaix, achieved after weeks on the trainer following a broken arm), but the difficulties have piled up for Van Aert.
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