'Better now than before the Tour of Flanders' - Visma respond to Van Aert Omloop setback

Visma | Lease a Bike suffered a setback on Thursday when it was confirmed that Wout van Aert would miss Omloop Nieuwsblad due to illness. 

This came Van Aert had already fighting a difficult mission to be ready in time for Opening Weekend after fracturing his ankle in a crash at the Zilvermeercross in Mol on January 2.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the race, Van Aert is confident in the feelings he gained from his recent training, and believes that he deliver the performances he is looking for once he can get racing.

"I remain positive about the feeling I had on training and am confident that I will be able to return to racing soon. Just not this Saturday,” Van Aert said in a statement released by the team on Thursday. 

The Dutch team’s CEO Richard Plugge, tried to remain optimistic, looking at the bigger picture, and highlighted the bigger goals of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix further down the line. 

"Let's look at it positively," Plugge told Sporza. "The sun is shining, and the important appointments won't be here for a few weeks.

"It's a shame, especially for him. Wout is training hard and doing everything right. He invested a lot in his altitude training after his ankle injury. It's a shame it's affecting him now, but it's not just about Saturday. I'm glad it's happening now and not two days before the Tour of Flanders."

Naturally, it’s an unwelcome setback for the team, and specifically Van Aert, who has suffered his fair share of misfortune over recent seasons. Head of Racing Grisha Niermann was also honest in his reaction, but like Plugge, believes that the key goals are still to come. 

"It's sh*t. But these things happen. Wout isn't the only one who's been sick these past few days,” Niermann told Sporza. "Wout is disappointed, because he really wanted to race here. But the most important month comes later. It's not that we should doubt that now. He's just been sick for a few days."

On the fractured ankle that Van Aert suffered on the cyclocross circuit, Niermann believes that the Belgian has taken plenty of positive steps in his recovery. "Everything went according to plan at the Sierra Nevada. Omloop wasn't our main goal, because Wout needs to be in top form in a few weeks,” explained Niermann.

"But everything really went as we wanted. The recovery from his broken ankle went well. Wout was ready to race and made progress in training. Despite the fracture, he had a good preparation. That doesn't go away if you can't ride for a few days."

The next race on Van Aert’s provisional schedule is the Ename Samyn Classic, but the team can’t confirm with certainty whether the Belgian will take to the start line on March 3.

"No, I don't have a crystal ball,” said Niermann. "It's an option, and we're hoping for it, but we can't say for sure yet."