Wout van Aert has left the Vuelta a España following a crash on the descent of the Collada Llomena during stage 16 to Lagos de Covadonga. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider injured his left knee in the incident, which occurred just over 50km from the finish. Before the crash, Van Aert had been leading the day’s early break and topped the first two climbs of the stage.
Van Aert attempted to rejoin the race after receiving a replacement bike. However, he was clearly in discomfort and unable to pedal properly. After a few hundred metres, he stopped again and got into the Visma team car. The crash happened on a sharp left-hand bend after fellow escapee Felix Engelhardt crashed in front of him. Isaac del Toro also went down behind Van Aert but did not appear to suffer serious injuries.
Van Aert’s crash marks a significant setback as he was leading both the points and king of the mountains classifications at this Vuelta. He had delivered outstanding performances over the first two weeks, winning three stages. The crash is a blow to his plans for the upcoming World Championships road race in Zurich on 29th September and the European Championships in Hasselt.
The Belgian had already experienced a challenging year. His original plans for the 2024 season were derailed by a severe crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, which resulted in a broken collarbone. This injury forced him out of the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and a planned debut at the Giro d’Italia. Van Aert made a comeback in time for the Tour de France, where he supported Jonas Vingegaard and secured a bronze medal in the time trial at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Main photo credit: Getty
