Hours after his dramatic crash in the final kilometre of the 13th Tour de France time trial stage on Friday in Pau, Wout Van Aert had surgery on his leg, his Jumbo Visma team announced.
The Belgian cyclist, triple cyclocross world champion, had to pull out of his first Tour de France with a deep gash at the top of his right leg.
"The muscle tissue has also been hurt," NL’s Performance Training Manager Mathieu Heijboer said on Sporza. "I think he hit the barrier at the hip and suffered a deep laceration. I jumped out of the car to see him. It was terrible to look at, even he did not dare."
Van Aert does not have a bone fracture, but the injury is bad. His operation lasted an hour. The duration of his incapacity must still be evaluated and he will probably remain in hospital for a few days.
The Brussels Times
