Tiesj Benoot takes the Blame for high speed Dwars door Vlaanderen horror crash
Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert broke his collarbone and several ribs and had his jersey ripped off in a high-speed horror crash on a descent with speeds touching 90 kph. Jasper Stuyven also broke his collarbone in horrific crash
Teammate Tiesj Benoot was told to accelerate in the remining peloton at speeds in excess of 90 kph. Benoot believes van Aert touched his back wheel before crashing in the middle of the bunch landing on his shoulder and back.
Wout van Aert broke his right collar bone and several ribs as he hit the tarmac. He was seen screaming in agony struggling to breathe at the side of the road. Wout's role as 'road manager' on the Tours makes him Visma's highest paid star alongside Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard on around $4 million euros this season.
VIDEO: Wout Van Aert Crash: Tiesj Benoot Takes The Blame
Lidl-Trek’s Jasper Stuyven, a key lieutenant and contender in both Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, is also expected to miss out with a broken collarbone from the same crash. Teammate Mads Pedersen may ride Flanders and Roubaix. He rode back to the bus himself and passed the initial concussion check after also hitting the deck at high speed.
Intermarche star Biniam Girmay is also expected to soldier on after going down in the same crash. The team confirmed Biniam Girmay and Laurenz Rex did not sustain any factures following the crash.
Stefan Küng said afterward "It was hectic and I was alone. I just moved up when I heard the crash behind me. Everyone was a bit shocked and then Matteo reopened the race and we went along," he analyzes soberly, as the Groupama-FDJ rider is aware that these things can happen. "I've been doing these races for ten years now and in nine out of ten editions, it all goes well. But it's hard to avoid. We deal with wide and narrow roads, that's part of cycling. It's just not the part you want to see."
Tim Declercq saw teammates Alex Kirsch (cut), Jasper Stuyven (broken collarbone) and Mads Pedersen (who for now only seems to have a scar) crash on the descent towards the Kanarieberg. "What makes that descent so dangerous? The fact that the road is so wide. Also, the overall level in the peloton is so high. There's such a huge pressure to move forward, and there are so many strong riders. You can't come into the wind too early, but also not too late," explains the Belgian, whose team directors were not allowed to talk too much with the press afterward. "But it's overwhelming, and you want to dive into a gap because you have to position yourself. But sometimes there's just no room. If you brake there, you're lost. It remains an extremely dangerous sport."
Tim added: "It was my job to drop those guys off. I gave everything I had and think I was going close to 90 km/h when I heard a big bang behind me. When I looked back, I saw Wout hitting the ground. That was a very grim moment, and from then on, all I could think about was him and the other victims. It might be the worst place to fall, that must be unbelievable. Every year, we all race down there with clenched buttocks, at speeds that are outrageous," he shakes his head.
Mathieu van der Poel will be a heavy favorite for a third win at Flanders this weekend, though he will see an increased burden as a result of the crashes and the removal of other potential winners. In Van Aert's absence, all eyes will be on riders like Lidl-Trek's Mads Pedersen to challenge an der Poel for victory in the two big Classics races.