Wout van Aert could make Tour of Norway comeback after missing Giro d'Italia due to crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen
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Updated 04/05/2024 at 12:47 GMT
Wout van Aert is continuing to make progress on the comeback trail from his collarbone injury suffered at Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 27. And now there are reports that the 29-year-old could return to action at the Tour of Norway, which runs between May 23-26. Van Aert could also appear at the Tour de France amid uncertainty surrounding Jonas Vingegaard's participation.
Stage 3 Highlights: Van Aert claims victory in thrilling sprint finish
Wout van Aert could be in line for a return at the Tour of Norway after his horrendous crash at the Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 27.
Van Aert returned to training a fortnight ago - just a month after breaking his collarbone.
The horror incident forced several riders to abandon the men's race, with Van Aert's jersey almost completely taken off from his back as he was lifted onto a stretcher.
Belgian news outlet HLN has subsequently reported that Van Aert cycled for four hours for the first time on Wednesday, and that he could be in line to make his competitive return in Norway.
The 29-year-old was forced to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia, which begins on Saturday and made this announcement on social media on April 11: “I’m really happy to tell you that I’m doing well, I’m recovering from all my injuries at the moment after my crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen.
“A lot of injuries are quite good at the moment but my ribs are still a limiting factor, so at this point I cannot train at all.
“[I’m] trying to do my first pedal strokes on the bike but not enough to be able to train, that’s why we made the decision to not start at the Giro d’Italia.
“It’s a big shame, I’m really disappointed to miss my second big goal of the season, but at this moment I need to prioritise my health and I need to give my body time to recover.”
This week, Van Aert spoke about how he felt in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
“Of course, I was very shocked at first,” the Belgian said, as part of 'The Spring Classics: Road to Resilience – Inside The Beehive' documentary from his Visma-Lease a Bike team.
“I immediately wanted to get to the side of the road. When I tried to move, I felt there was something wrong with my shoulder and hip.
“Then I experienced tremendous pain until I received some strong medication at the hospital so that first half hour was truly terrible.”
Despite missing the Giro, Van Aert - according to a report - could now appear at the Tour de France due to the growing uncertainty surrounding defending champion Jonas Vingegaard’s participation.
The Dane fractured his collarbone in the fourth stage of the Basque tour to leave his position in doubt, meaning Visma-Lease a Bike's emphasis could shift to Van Aert.
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