Van Aert crash: The Belgian suffers a slight fracture at the Exact Cross Mol

In wintry conditions and heavy snowfall, the Exact Cross in Mol saw the eagerly awaited duel between cyclocross superstars Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. The 31-year-old Belgian from Team Visma | Lease a Bike put in a strong performance from the start and positioned himself right at the front of the field. With a fast pace on the first lap, Van Aert ensured an early selection and took the lead. On the third lap, the two top favourites were able to pull away from the rest of the field. However, a challenging sandy section proved to be Van Aert's undoing, causing him to briefly lose touch with Van der Poel. In the following laps, the Visma pro fought his way back to his rival in increasingly heavy snowfall. A thrilling duel developed, but on the track, which had become slippery due to the snow and ice, there was ultimately a serious crash, after which the Belgian had to abandon the race.

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Injury worries after a fall

"Wout has pain in his ankle," explained sports director Jan Boven after the race. The team manager of Visma | Lease a Bike did not want to jump to any conclusions: "We will carry out further examinations before drawing any conclusions. It's a shame that the race had to end this way, because Wout was very strong and it was a great duel." The exact severity of the injury initially remained unclear. The Visma | Lease a Bike team later announced that the Belgian had sprained his ankle and suffered a slight fracture. For Van Aert, who is in the middle of his cyclocross season, the injury comes at an unfavourable time. The Belgian traditionally uses the winter races to prepare for the spring classics. The cancellation is particularly bitter, as Van Aert had put in a convincing performance up until his crash and was able to hold his own against world champion Van der Poel.

However, according to the latest information, the injury could be worse than initially suspected. According to surgeon Gilbert Versier, who commented in the French newspaper L'Equipe, Van Aert could miss the team for three months. This not only means the end of the cyclo-cross season for the Belgian, but the spring classics also appear to be in jeopardy.

Challenging weather conditions in Mol

The conditions at the Exact Cross in Mol presented all participants with special challenges. Heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures turned the track into a slippery course that placed the highest technical demands on the athletes. The combination of sand and snow created conditions that posed an extreme challenge even for experienced cyclocross pros. Mathieu van der Poel secured another victory and also triumphed in Zonhoven on Sunday. The Dutchman is now at the top of the World Cup standings.