Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) crashed out of Sunday’s Fidea Cyclocross Classics race in Tervuren, Belgium in the very first lap; the former two-time World champion came down hard and was unable to continue. At first he was unsure, but now he fears that the after effects might prevent his participation in the coming weekend’s Belgian National Championships.
“In the Woods I rode into a deep hole, and I went over my handlebars,” he said after the race, according to Sport.be. “I landed on both my knees. Painful.
“Then I tried briefly to carry on, but I couldn’t do it. I hope I don't have to fear for the Belgian Championships, but I do not know. Tomorrow morning I’ll go to the doctor and physiotherapist.”
Having seen the physiotherapist today, Wellens still feels uncertain about whether or not he will be able to try to wrest the driekleur from the shoulders of long-time rival Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet).
“It’s too early to be certain about Sunday,” he told Sporza today. “It could be worse, but I don’t want to make it any worse.”
“My knees are not only blue, but also a bit swollen. There is also some fluid but that should disperse naturally. I also feel stiff in my knees and shoulders; I’m taking it easy for the time being, but I still have to train.”
Wellens was the last rider besides Nys to win the Belgian title, having taken it in 2004 and 2007; there are a number of riders who might deny the Kannibaal his eighth driekleur, including Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea); after Sunday’s fall though, it looks like Bart Wellens may not be one of them.