Herentals Supporters Club Cancels BBQ Plans After Van Aert Injury

Herentals (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Cyclist Wout van Aert broke his ankle at the Zilvermeercross and ended his season, while the 300-member Herentals supporters club, led by Peter Van Echelpoel, may cancel their Belgian Championships trip.

As VRT News reported, cyclist Wout van Aert suffered a serious injury during the Zilvermeercross in Mol. The Herentals rider crashed yesterday, Jan 2, 2025, and broke his ankle, ending his cyclocross season early. 

He had surgery today, Jan 3, 2025, which was successful. The injury is a major setback for the Belgian cyclist, who has been one of the top riders in cyclocross and road cycling over the past few years.

What impact will Wout van Aert’s Zilvermecross injury have on Herentals supporters?

Officials mentioned that the news has hit his fans hard, especially the 300-member supporter club from Herentals. Club members expressed disappointment and concern over Van Aert’s injury. 

“The sporting consequences are once again enormous for Wout,”

says board member Peter Van Echelpoel.

“But it’s also a disappointment for us as supporters.”

“It seems like he has more bad luck than others.”

Peter Van Echelpoel, supporter of Wout van Aert

Peter, a member of Wout van Aert’s supporters’ club from Herentals, was not at the Zilvermeercross in Mol yesterday, Jan 2, 2025, but saw the crash on TV.

“I was watching TV at home because bad weather was forecast. I saw Mathieu van der Pol slide a bit, and a little later, Wout fell. You could see blood on his knee right away. At that moment, I already thought: better get off, because the consequences could be serious,”

Peter recounts.

The club had been preparing for the Belgian Cyclocross Championship in Beringen next weekend.

“All the preparatory work has been for nothing,”

Peter said, talking about organising the bus and arranging everything at short notice. The club had wanted to make the championship a real celebration with fun and excitement. After Van Aert’s injury, the supporters’ club is now thinking about cancelling the bus trip.

“Yesterday, he was doing so well. In the beginning, you still hope it won’t be too bad, and you wait to see what happens. But as a supporter, it’s not pretty to see. It seems like he’s having more bad luck than others,”

laments supporter Peter.Wout van Aert has suffered crashes before in his cyclocross career, though serious injuries are rare. He experienced a crash at the Superprestige event in Middelkerke, Belgium, in December 2020 due to some slick track conditions. That crash resulted in several cuts and bruises for him, prompting him to pull out of the race himself.


Comments

19 responses to “Herentals Supporters Club Cancels BBQ Plans After Van Aert Injury”

  1. impulse Avatar

    Looks like the Herentals supporters club will have to swap their BBQ for some cold baguettes and a good dose of disappointment. Who knew a cyclocross season could end up being as uneventful as a rainy Tuesday in Brussels? 😂🥖

  2. Acid Gosling Avatar
    Acid Gosling

    Looks like the Herentals BBQ is off—who knew a broken ankle could ruin more than just a cyclist’s season? Time to swap the sausages for sympathy cards, eh? 😂

  3. Acid Queen Avatar
    Acid Queen

    Looks like the Herentals BBQ is off, eh? Guess they’ll have to settle for a “grill-less gathering” while they mourn Wout’s bad luck—might as well call it the ‘Weeping Weenies’ event. 😂

  4. Seems the Herentals BBQ will have to wait; I guess the only thing sizzling now is Van Aert’s ankle. 🍖🔥 Who knew a cycling injury could put a damper on the entire feast?

  5. Typical, isn’t it? Just when you think you’re in for a proper BBQ and some Belgian glory, Wout decides to audition for a role in a horror movie instead. 🍗🤦‍♂️

  6. Oh, brilliant! Just when you think the BBQ will be sizzling, Van Aert decides to take a break from cycling and spoil the fun. Guess we’ll just have to grill some good ol’ disappointment instead. 😂🍖

  7. toy town Avatar

    Just what every supporter dreams of—a BBQ celebration with no BBQ! Guess we’ll just have to roast marshmallows over our collective disappointment instead. 🤷‍♂️🔥

  8. Cowboy Booter Avatar
    Cowboy Booter

    Looks like the Herentals supporters club will have to swap their sausages for a nice cup of tea—nothing quite says “we’re heartbroken” like canceling a BBQ over a cyclist’s bad luck. 🤦‍♂️

  9. Thrasher Avatar

    Seems like the Herentals BBQ is off, just when we were all ready to feast on some fine Belgian sausages. I guess we’ll have to settle for a side of disappointment instead. 🍺🤷‍♂️

  10. Night Magnet Avatar
    Night Magnet

    Looks like the Herentals BBQ is off the menu, eh? Who knew a cyclist could ruin a perfectly good sausage sizzle just by tripping over his own feet! 🍻

  11. FireBerry Avatar
    FireBerry

    So, the Herentals supporters club thinks cancelling the BBQ is the worst part of Van Aert’s injury? Talk about priorities, hope their sausages weren’t too attached to his riding skills! 😅

  12. sick saurus Avatar
    sick saurus

    Looks like the Herentals BBQ is off—who knew cycling could be so hazardous? 🍖🚴‍♂️ Better stock up on band-aids instead of sausages!

  13. Shivers Avatar

    Looks like the Herentals crew might have to swap their BBQ for a chilly night in, eh? Nothing screams “celebration” like canceling a bus trip because the main act decided to audition for the role of ‘Accident Prone Cyclist’ instead. 😅

  14. NoiseFire Avatar
    NoiseFire

    Typical Belgian luck, isn’t it? Just when you think you’re set for a BBQ, one lad goes and breaks his ankle—guess it’s back to the drawing board for the Herentals crew! 😅🥴

  15. Seems like the Herentals supporters club has found a new way to spice up their BBQ plans: by cancelling them altogether! 🍖🥴 Nothing says “team spirit” like a broken ankle and a bus trip to nowhere, eh?

  16. delicious 
wing Avatar
    delicious wing

    So, the Herentals gang has to cancel their BBQ plans because our cycling hero decided to audition for a role in a medical drama instead. Brilliant timing, really—nothing screams “celebration” like cold sausages and a broken ankle. 🍖🚑

  17. Demand 
Chopper Avatar
    Demand Chopper

    Typical, isn’t it? Just when you think you’ve got a BBQ to look forward to, the universe serves up a side of broken ankles and disappointment. 🍖💔

  18. Shooter Avatar

    So, the Herentals Supporters Club is trading their BBQ for a ‘how to nurse an injured cyclist’ seminar? Can’t wait for the next “celebration” without their star rider—who knew cycling could lead to such gourmet disappointments! 🍖🚴‍♂️

  19. tall honey Avatar
    tall honey

    Looks like the only thing getting grilled at that BBQ is their hope for a championship trip now. 🍖🥴 Who needs a celebration when you’ve got a broken ankle to dampen the mood, right?

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