Bold opening: Even when luck goes quiet, misfortune still finds a way to linger—and it did so for Wout van Aert in his first race back. But here’s where it gets controversial: a late puncture and two bike changes derailed his bid at the Ename Samyn Classic, preventing any chance to challenge for the win.
Van Aert (Visma–Lease a Bike) returned to racing after fracturing his ankle in a January cyclo-cross crash, only to be hit by yet another setback in February. He had planned to resume road racing at Opening Weekend, but a stomach bug forced a delay, and last week’s Le Samyn Speed up the schedule again.
In Tuesday’s Ename Samyn Classic, further bad luck struck at a critical moment. A late puncture forced an urgent bike change, followed by a second bike swap, ultimately ruling him out of contention for the victory.
For more in-depth race coverage, interviews, features, reviews, and expert buying guides, subscribe to Cyclingnews and get exclusive access to our Spring Classics coverage. We’ll keep you updated with breaking news, reports, and analysis from the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix, and the Tour of Flanders.
About the author: James Moultrie is an NCTJ-qualified journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after eight months as a freelancer. He has previously contributed to Eurosport, Rouleur, and Cycling Weekly, covering events like Paris–Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne and interviewing top riders such as Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan, and Wout van Aert. Outside cycling, he follows rugby, football, cricket, and American football.
Public display name reminder: Please log out and log back in to set your display name before commenting.
