Wout van Aert has been ruled out of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday through illness.
The Belgian was set to make his 2026 racing debut at the season-opening Classic, but will now have to sit on the sidelines.
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“Obviously, it’s a big blow for me to miss out on my first race, having prepared for the classics season the whole winter,” Van Aert said.
“We had a good training camp at Sierra Nevada, and I was feeling really strong. But unfortunately, it’s also that time of the year where it’s easy to fall ill. 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.”
The 31-year-old’s recovery appeared to be progressing well. However, his recent altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains was disrupted by foul weather, meaning he was forced to ride indoors on the rollers on several days rather than his planned rides up and down the climbs.
Van Aert is still on the start list for the Ename Samyn Classic, a Belgian semi-classic, on Tuesday, but his participation there is naturally in doubt. His team did not refer to the race in Thursday’s statement, only confirming his absence from the Omloop.
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