“Wout was there. It was wrong, you saw immediately”: Visma documentary about turbulent spring with focus on Van Aert | Cycling
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The documentary enters with – how could it be otherwise? – that damned Wednesday, March 27. And the horror crash of, among others, Wout van Aert in Dwars door Vlaanderen, which, after short detours past the double success in the Flemish opening weekend (Tratnik in the Omloop, Van Aert in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne) and the E3 Saxo Classic, is once again discussed in detail. illuminated. With testimonials from those involved (Jorgenson, Van Aert himself, sporting director Merijn Zeeman), match images and camera fragments from the support car.
From the clear guidelines in the team briefing at the start in Roeselare. “We don’t brake after Berg Ten Houte, guys, because the wind is blowing at the head there. And then we start the descent towards Kanarieberg. We really want to make the selection there and on the Trieu.” About the bewilderment, disappointment and nervousness of team leaders Maarten Wynants and Grischa Niermann in the car. “No, not waiting. Continue the race, guys (when asked by the other riders what to do next).”
Until the image that is burned into the retinas of all of us: a loudly moaning Van Aert on the asphalt. Zeeman: “The camera panned to the right and there was Wout. You immediately saw that it was very wrong.” And “the small piece of cloth for the bleeding” with Matteo Jorgenson’s victory.
“At first it was of course quite a shock,” says Van Aert about the fall itself. “I wanted to get to the side of the road as quickly as possible. But when I tried to move I felt that something was wrong with my shoulder and hip. Yes, I was in a lot of pain until I was given strong medication in the hospital.”
“That first half hour was really terrible. They were already able to determine the collarbone fracture, but this was then confirmed by the photos. Then they thought my ribs had been hit a little too. And the next doctor came and said that I had broken seven of them. Shortly afterwards my sternum was also broken. At that moment I was quite calm and I said to laugh: ‘I hope there won’t be too many more doctors, because there will only be injuries.”
On the day of ‘De Ronde’ I couldn’t leave my seat. It was difficult to escape the live of the race on the most important Sunday of the year.
Wout van Aert, Team Visma-Lease a Bike
In the second part, which is mainly about the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Van Aert is mentioned a few more times. “’De Ronde’ was ridden on the first day I returned home. I couldn’t leave my seat yet, so it was difficult to avoid watching the race live on the most important Sunday of the year.”
The documentary, which also delves into the ‘setbacks’ of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle, the fighting spirit of Tiesj Benoot and Per Strand Hagenes and the revelation of the twin brothers Tim and Mick van Dijke, concludes on a positive note: Van Aert’s favorable rehabilitation and his first cycling trip outside again.
“Considering all the circumstances, I’m doing quite well,” he initially said. “In the last week I have become reasonably mobile again and can do the normal things in life. According to the people who guide me, my recovery is going well. It’s a nice feeling to be able to put on the bib shorts again. Even though that was of course quite a task. (laughs)”
“It is confronting that you were perhaps in one of the best conditions of your life and then suddenly you are thrown back to the worst possible condition. It’s certainly nice to be a bit active again. But it will only really feel wonderful if I can go outside.” One week after the recording the time has come. And the viewer also gets to see that moment. “Finally!”, you see Van Aert beaming on the bike.
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