Wout van Aert has revealed he is recovering from appendicitis, which has forced him to take some time off before he prepares for the upcoming Tour de France and Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Belgian made the announcement on social media, explaining why he would be walking instead of running at a weekend charity event.
"Just literally out of the running. I am recovering from appendicitis, so unfortunately no Wings For Life World Run for me," Van Aert said. "Looking ahead to the preparations for the Tour and the Games."
The Wings For Life World Run raises money for research into spinal cord injuries, a charity Van Aert supports.
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Van Aert didn't explain whether he needed surgery to treat his appendicitis or whether he expects it to disrupt his preparations ahead of key races still to come in his season.
Appendicitis can take as little as a few weeks to recover from, while if open surgery is needed to remove the appendix then strenuous physical activity may have to be avoided for up to a month and a half, according to public health bodies.
If an ideal time to have appendicitis exists, this would probably be it for Wout van Aert. The Jumbo-Visma rider capped off a successful spring Classics campaign with victory at the Amstel Gold Race three weeks ago, having also won Gent-Wevelgem and making the podium at Milan - San Remo. The 26-year-old is not scheduled to race again until the Critérium du Dauphiné on May 30.
The French stage race will provide preparatory kilometres before the Tour de France, where Van Aert will once again be one of Primož Roglič's key domestiques in the battle for the yellow jersey, while the Belgian will likely also get his chance in the sprints.
After that, Van Aert will be targeting the Tokyo Olympic Games individual time trial event alongside Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Remco Evenepoel for Belgium.
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