Van Aert will have to undergo surgery and says goodbye to cyclocross after his fall in Mol

The cyclocross shows its cruelest face again. Wout van Aert will have to undergo surgery after the hard fall suffered this Friday during the Exact Cross in Mol, an injury that abruptly ends his short winter campaign.

Cyclocross without Van Aert: injury, surgery, and end of the winter season

The Belgian fell on an asphalt curve, in particularly delicate conditions due to the snow and ice accumulated on the Zilvermeer circuit. Although he managed to get up and get back on the bike, all alarms went off when Van Aert decided to abandon due to evident discomfort.

Shortly after, Visma Lease a Bike confirmed that he has an ankle sprain accompanied by a small fracture that forces the rider to undergo surgery on Saturday.

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"Of course, I am very disappointed to have to end my cyclocross season this way," Van Aert himself acknowledged in statements provided by his team. "I was feeling better and better, also today in Mol. I was really looking forward to racing in Zonhoven and the Belgian Championship, but now my priority is to recover and, later on, prepare for the road season."

The team's manager, Jan Boven, explained that although Van Aert had some abrasions on his right knee, the same one he severely injured in the 2024 Vuelta a España, the main problem is with the ankle.

The fall came at a particularly bitter moment. In Mol, Van Aert had shown, for the first time this season, clear signs of being able to challenge Van der Poel. Both rode together at the front after the first laps, exchanging attacks, until the Belgian lost control at that critical point of the course. A twist in the script that frustrates what was supposed to be the last winter showdown between the two, scheduled for the Zonhoven World Cup this Sunday.