Dylan van Baarle’s 2026 season is over after the Soudal Quick-Step rider was involved in a road traffic accident with a car while training in the Netherlands.
The Dutchman was taken to hospital after the incident, where a CT scan revealed a fracture to his wrist. Soudal Quick-Step confirmed that the injury will require surgery and rules Van Baarle out for the remainder of the season.
Van Baarle requires surgery after training crash
The team described the crash as a road traffic accident involving a car during a training ride in the Netherlands. Van Baarle was assessed in hospital afterwards, with the wrist fracture confirmed following a CT scan.
No further injuries were detailed in the medical update, but the need for surgery is enough to end his first season with Soudal Quick-Step several weeks earlier than planned.
First Soudal Quick-Step season ends early
Van Baarle joined Soudal Quick-Step for 2026 on a deal running through the end of 2027, having previously spent three seasons with Visma | Lease a Bike. The move was built around a return to a stronger role in the cobbled Classics as well as using his experience in stage races and Grand Tours.
ProCyclingUK covered his move to Soudal Quick-Step when the two-year deal was announced, with the Dutchman arriving as a former Paris-Roubaix, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen winner.
His 2026 season included a second-place finish in the Dutch elite men’s time trial in June, underlining that he was still producing strong individual performances in his first year with the Belgian team.
Recovery now becomes the priority
With surgery required and no further racing possible in 2026, Van Baarle’s focus now shifts entirely to rehabilitation ahead of the final year of his current Soudal Quick-Step contract.
The 34-year-old has previously returned from significant injuries during his career, but the team’s immediate update was limited to confirming the wrist fracture, the planned operation and the end of his season.
