Zilvermeercross in Mol was giving fans everything they’d dreamed of all fall, until it took it all away. Wout van Aert looked like he’d elevated his game, finally giving ‘cross fans the Big Two battle they’d been craving. Add in some absolutely wild conditions, mixing snow in with the sand, and it was looking like 2026 was off to the best start ever.
Then Mathieu van der Poel crashed. The world champion was quickly up on his bike and moving again.
Then Wout van Aert crashed. The Belgian was less lucky than his competitor and was forced out of the race.
Brewing ‘Cross battle ends early
A trip to the hospital for a worryingly swollen ankle confirmed the worst: van Aert’s cyclocross season is over.
Team Visma – Lease A Bike confirmed the news. Van Aert suffered a sprained ankle and small fracture. That takes him out of Belgian championships and ends any debate over whether or not the cross and road star will challenge van der Poel at world championships.
“Of course I am very disappointed to have to end my cyclocross season like this,” Van Aert says. “I was feeling better and better, including today in Mol. I was really looking forward to the race in Zonhoven and the Belgian Championships. But my focus will now be on recovery and, later on, the preparation of the road season.”
Another injury for Wout van Aert
This latest injury sets up Wout van Aert for another round in a series of comeback’s the star has already lost count of.
The Belgian’s 2024 season was derailed early on in his Classics campaign by a rough crash at at Dwars door Vlaanderen. That put him off the bike for weeks and inspired a mini-documentary of its own. After winning bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris, van Aert would crash again at Vuelta Espana and be forced to end his season early.
In 2019, van Aert crashed hard at Le Tour. That significant leg injury required multiple surguries to correct, including a surgeries to correct the initial surgery.