Wout van Aert suffered a very bad crash during the sixteenth stage of the Vuelta a Españaending in the Covadonga Lakes. The Belgian Visma-Lease cyclist had to abandon the Spanish round due to the heavy fall he suffered shortly after reaching the summit of the Collada Llemena.
Van Aertleader of the Regularity and Mountain classifications and winner of three stages in this 2024 edition of the Vuelta He hit his bones on the ground while descending the Collada Llemenaport Primera before the climb to the lakes. Also involved in the crash, within the breakaway at the head of the race, were the Mexican Isaac del Toro (UAE) and the German Felix Engelhardt (Jayco Alula), still in the race.
Van Aert fell about 48 km from the finish line and he returned to take a bike that his team had given him, but he only rode a few more meters, very painful in his right leg, which was oozing blood following a fall. After testing himself, the leader of the Regularity and the Mountain had to stop because he could not continue.
The cruel face of cycling 💔
Van Aert’s cries of pain after falling and being forced to abandon. #LaVuelta24 | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/41ADoz0tEx
– Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 3, 2024
The pain in his leg prevented him from continuing and he had to brake to abandon the stage. The images were horrible. Van Aert sat in his team car, somewhat dazed, to be treated by doctors. Several members of his team had to remove his helmet because the Belgian felt dizzy and could no longer stand even when sitting. His right knee did not stop bleeding and the Visma cyclist thus said goodbye to the Vuelta a España 2024.
😢😢😢#LaVuelta24 | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/okdeqG0r2I
– Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 3, 2024
