“Wout and I have already had FaceTime with each other,” says Nathan Van Hooydonck in our HLN cycling podcast ‘Wuyts & Vlaeminck’. Wout van Aert is recovering at home from his collarbone, sternum and rib fractures. “He is positive.”
Editorial
April 2 2024
Listen to a new episode of the HLN podcast ‘Wuyts & Vlaeminck’ below
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“It made me happy to see that he was already in such a positive mood after his crash,” says Van Hooydonck, his ex-teammate. “That is also how I know Wout. His positivity gave me a good feeling.”
A positive update about the man who Flanders missed on Sunday. The contrast with last Wednesday is great. Van Hooydonck, as with every major spring race, also rode around Dwars door Vlaanderen with a VIP bus from Visma-Lease A Bike. “The moment the peloton turned onto the Ninoofsesteenweg towards Kanarieberg, I and my guests had just arrived at a cobblestone strip in Lede. There, at 28 kilometers from the finish, I would still indicate water bottles.”
Van Hooydonck followed the race on a small screen in the van. Until after the horror crash. “When Wout lay on the asphalt groaning in pain, I got out. My guests had to leave me alone for fifteen minutes. They understood that too. I immediately sent a message to Sarah (De Bie) asking if there was anything I could do. I was on the course and knew she wasn’t there. Sarah saw her husband fall heavily on TV and cry in pain. That goes through the marrow and bone. My heart broke into a thousand pieces, just like Wout’s ambitions at that moment.”
Before the start of Dwars door Vlaanderen, Matteo Jorgenson of the Visma team shared on his social media the briefing that the riders had received from the team management. Notable team orders: “Descend towards Kanarieberg. Fight like hell! To stay with the guys.” Van Hooydonck does not think it is smart of Jorgenson to share the briefing. But according to him there is nothing wrong with the guidelines. “Everyone knows that you have to be among the first to climb the Kanarieberg if you want to win the race. So you have to fight for your position on the Ninoofsesteenweg. This means that you sometimes have to drive through the wind. To be clear, that certainly does not mean that you should push other riders.”
No Tour, then fries for Van Aert: “Wout would have been the only one who could have followed Van der Poel”
Wonderful initiative: fans make one large get well soon card that is presented to Van Aert
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Tags: Nathan Van Hooydonck facetimed Wout van Aert Glad positive mood crash Cycling
