Good News: Wout van Aert hits the road again after Vuelta a España crash… See more

Wout van Aert, a Visma-Lease a Bike rider, continues to recover from his devastating crash in the Vuelta a España with his first outdoor bike ride.

On September 3, during stage 16 of the Vuelta, the Belgian rider crashed badly while descending in northern Spain. He instantly exited the race owing to a major knee injury.

After a difficult first part of the 2024 season – including another, even more serious, fall in the Classics, Van Aert won Vuelta three stages, led the race for two days, and he was in pole position in both the mountains and the points ranking. The crash changed everything.

The injury was so bad it left Van Aert unable to walk, let alone ride a bike, and with his participation in any further road racing in 2024, including the World Championships,  ruled out.

Van Aert is now making a good recovery and on Friday, almost a month to the day after his fall, he posted a short ride on Strava, his first since the accident, with the expressive headline ‘Woo-hoo.’

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Van Aert’s hour-long ride in Belgium was just 32.6 kilometres long and with 49 metres of elevation gain. But after such a difficult accident, his second major fall in 2024, it represents a milestone in his comeback.

After his bad fall and several days in hospital in Spain, Van Aert needed more hospital treatment in Belgium and initially was not able to move his knee at all.

However, on September 25 – as shown on Strava – the 30-year-old walked 2.74 miles with his partner Sarah De Bie. Meanwhile, Van Aert signed a lifelong pro contract with his current club Visma-Leasa a Bike, a form of pact that is allegedly unparalleled in professional cycling.

Although no date has been established for his return, Van Aert has stated that he plans to race in cyclocross this winter before returning to road racing the following season.