TRAGEDY: One of our own, two cyclist stars has been confirmed Dead today after…

Wout van Aert’s is out of the Tour of Flanders and the remaining spring Classics after fracturing his collarbone and several ribs in a high-speed mass crash 67km from the finish of Dwars door Vlaanderen.

“Unfortunately, Wout van Aert suffered several fractures in the crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen,” Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed after Van Aert underwent x-rays and a medical check-up.

“A broken collarbone and several broken ribs were diagnosed in hospital. It is unclear how long his recovery will take. Van Aert will definitely miss the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race.”

Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) also fell in the same crash, which took place shortly after the climb of Berg ten Houte and on the fast approach to the key Kanarieberg climb.

“They were passing us to accelerate on the left side, so Wout shouted at me to accelerate, which I did, but I think Wout touched my wheel. I feel really shit about it,” teammate Tiesj Benoot revealed.

“I was on Wout’s wheel at the time of the crash, just before the Kanarieberg climb,” eventually race winner Matteo Jorgenson said.

“It was a decisive moment in the race but it was a racing incident.  We had two lead out trains: Lidl-Trek and us and basically we came together, I think Wout an Alex Kirsch came together and it was a really ugly fall. I saw the whole thing and knew that Wout was going to be out of he race.”