‘Not perfect:’ Wute van Aert, now in Copenhagen, says on departure ‘Knee will be a concern for the first few days’ | sports

VTM journalist Klaas Deuengart was able to talk to Wout van Aert for a while before boarding his flight to Copenhagen, where the Tour de France begins on Friday. Van Aert has been struggling with a knee injury in recent days. “The feeling is good, otherwise I wouldn’t leave,” said Van Aert of Zaventem. “The tenderness in the knee is gone, but it will continue to be a concern for the next few days. It is not an ideal situation.”

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So Wout van Aert is going to the Tour. Our compatriot Jumbo-Visma responded to his injury for the first time on Strava earlier today. And it sounded like, “I’ve been back on my bike since Saturday, after four days of forced rest.” “I started with short, double sessions, but yesterday I was able to take a longer ride. No pain. It seems I have slowed down a bit in time. The irritation above my kneecap is gone and I can come back full force again. I would like to thank my team, doctors, physiotherapists, my family and you All for the support. I am ready for Ligue 4.”

Officially, his tour was never in danger, but when Van Aert was still in pain two days after hitting his knee, alarm bells went off. If his knee had been injured, it would have been a disaster. Then months of preparation can go in the trash. Ard Bierens spokesperson: “It’s twofold: on the one hand, we knew exactly what we had to do and it made sense that Wout could ride the Tour. On the other hand, there’s always a one-percent concern: ‘It wouldn’t be…’.”

Van Aert was injured when he twisted his chainstay and hit his knee hard on his handlebar. When he was still in pain during the next training session, his training camp in Tignes, in the French Alps, was cut short. Van Aert is already back on Tuesday, instead of on Friday. In Belgium, he underwent a comprehensive examination, after which he was prescribed for rest. Walking and swimming were permitted, and cycling was no longer permitted. Explanation: Walking and swimming do not cause friction above the kneecap, while bending the leg while riding a bike causes problems.

The fact that he had to leave his bike was a double setback for Van Aert: in this way he was unable to complete a number of qualitative training sessions, and also missed the Belgian championship. They do not like the fact that there are doubts about this with the team: Van Aert really wanted to ride in the Belgian championship, and both the staff and colleagues heard it. “He wanted to defend his shirt and would prefer to extend it.”

Tonight, he boarded a plane to Denmark with fellow Belgians Tissgue Bennott and Nathan van Hooydonk. He will be one of the biggest contenders for yellow on day one. The tour begins with a 13-kilometer time trial in and around Copenhagen.

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